Deadeye
by Erithemaeus
Summary: Our favorite cynic is transferred to Kunugigaoka Junior High School's E-Clas due to...personal reasons. But with a tentacled monster and his entire class being trained to kill said tentacled monster, can he still turn around from his seemingly destined cynicism? [Next objective: TvTropes page]
1. 1 - The Transfer Student

**Deadeye**

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Chapter 1 – The Transfer Student

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Middle school. An educational institution that lasts for three years where the complexity and banality of life starts to set in; wherein such things as 'creativity' and 'imagination' are completely snuffed out of a teenager's mind and force them into the mold of 'fit in or die'. It is this phase of human life wherein the toxicity and noxiousness of these social interactions finally come into full force, wherein social bullying and pariah-creation are now in the norm. Gone are the days of actual, physical, bullying – the riajuus who control the top echelons of each class finally realized that using emotions as a tool to butcher and cut people apart is a better and much more efficient tool in their armory rather than using fists and chains. And who wouldn't switch to the brand-new, innovative weapon in the war against innocents? Physical force makes one stronger by fostering hate – to make them realize that in order to avoid being bullied like the others who came before them, they must grow stronger in strength in order to fight back.

And that is how physical bullying differs from emotional bullying. You see, physical bullying is like Darwin in action – except that you don't die, but are instead given the chance to make yourself stronger, like COMPs. However, emotional bullying targets the psyche itself – the rationale of a person in order to take action. And psyches don't change overnight, unless trauma forces it to, and it is an extremely dangerous process that could result in the psyche itself shattering from the pressure.

I had been a victim of emotional bullying. My psyche had become warped beyond all repair due to what other human beings had done to me when I was in my second year of middle school, turning me into a dead husk of a person that can only shamble blindly like a zombie. My grades had dropped – for the better I guess – and I was dropped out of my middle school. Finally, my parents had noticed the despair that had gripped me by the heart for the last months of my second year in middle school, and decided that I need to get out of the prefecture in order to forget it all, and start a new life. A new school, a new life, was apparently what my parents thought that I needed in order to move on in my life.

They had been wrong.

Since my parents were burdened by their work, they weren't able to transfer jobs towards this prefecture. Komachi was too busy filling out forms and tests in order to move up into a middle school, and because it was only just a few days that my transfer into another prefecture had been announced to the whole family, she didn't have enough time to change her middle school into the one that I was being transferred into. Therefore, it was only me, inside this hollow apartment that was quite the ways from school, and the only company that I had were my toys, my books, and nothing more.

What's more, due to my grades slipping up that I actually had to flunk out for my second year in middle school, the school that I had been transferred into had automatically transferred me to the renowned E-Class, an infamous classroom filled with dropouts and delinquents that didn't make the cut in the highly-competitive atmosphere of the main classes. The main academy, if you will.

The campus for the E-Class was primarily made out of old, rotting wood, set on a mountain that was incredibly tiring for an ordinary student in order to hike to. There weren't even concrete walkways – the best that the students in the class could have were a few well-worn mountain trails along the way, forcing the students to stop and take a few breaks in order to go towards class. Which made them late. Which made them susceptible to punishments. Which made them extend more into their already-long class time and made them go home at seven in the evening. The E-Class wasn't a classroom; it was a goddamned extermination camp.

Which made it just short of a miracle that I had managed to come on time during my first day here on this new middle school.

I was panting, drenched in sweat, and my mind already half in delirium when I had slid open the door to the classroom where I was supposed to make my introduction. My eyes instantly met the man standing behind the podium, his sharp steel eyes, immediately piercing through my own as I couldn't help but be frozen under his stare.

What was this? A spell? A genjutsu? Just what the hell is a man in a suit standing behind the podium? He's your teacher, idiot. Thanks, common sense, I needed that. Why thank you very much, Hikigaya-san– You damn idiot! I was talking about that spell that he was using! Then I do not know what kind of genjutsu that he used. Maybe you should binge-watch that series again in order to familiarize yourself with all of the spells? Thank you, maybe I'll consider it later.

The man in the suit sighed, his steel gaze moving onto the class before him, a bunch of people in wild hairstyles and different hair colors and what the hell? Is this class just full of wild and quirky characters with various characteristics and personalities that just _seemed_ to be oozing out potential? Just what the hell is this? Just what class had I transferred into?

"That's right", the suited man said in a deep tone that made a few girls in the front swoon and just how are you exceeding that manly aura of manliness, good sir? May I ask you to teach me how to do that? Well of course, it would only happen after school and in a private area so that my other (future) classmates wouldn't notice, and did I just suggest something _that_ dangerous? I don't want to be sodomized, and I don't swing that way! "It seems that this year, a new student has transferred into this class. You, introduce yourself."

I nodded, my throat tightening in response to the man in the suit's words as I took a step forward and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the stares from the people around me as I slowly drawled out a breath, stopping just beside the podium as I turned around and found a few pieces of chalk laid around in front of the blackboard.

Taking one in my hands, I slowly yet surely spelled out my name on the board, gingerly placing the chalk back into its place a moment later as I slowly turned around to face my classmates, meeting their curious stares head-on as my mind began losing speed out of having lost a few conveyor belts that processed information.

Calm down, me. You cannot – and I repeat, you _cannot_ screw this up. With that singular thought in mind, I took a deep breath and let out the voice that I had been holding back for so long ever since I had stepped inside this flimsy excuse for a building.

"My name is Hikigaya Hachiman. I'll be in your care."

[–|–]

"What", I said, immediately speaking my thoughts out loud as I perked up and stared at the...creature in front of me with wide eyes. It wore a scholar's robe and a cap that seemed like he was going to a college's graduation ceremony, and a crescent moon that shone with gold was draped over its neck. His arms were yellow tentacles. His feet were yellow suckers that stuck to the ground. His head was a bright yellow, the smoothness of his head letting me catch the reflection of the fluorescent lights above him as two beady eyes stared at the entire class, the creature's wide smile permanently engraved on its face.

Of course, faced with a situation like this, one would attempt to rationalize whatever stray thoughts that they have into an incoherent set of letters that would come out of their mouth, "What?"

"Like I said, I'll be teaching your class until the end of the year, and I'll destroy the earth next year", the yellow creature spoke in a sing-song voice that could be best described as 'irritating', a few of its tentacles writhing behind him in anticipation as he laughed. What _is_ that laugh, though? Are you Monokuma perhaps? Trying to get us to kill each other so that you won't destroy the earth? "That means that I'll be teaching you everything that you'll need to know, along with how to assassinate me."

...Assassinate? Like killing a person when they're at their most unguarded moment, never taking chances and eliminating them before they have a chance to fight back? Shouldn't professionals handle this instead? I mean, the suit guy over there was literally part of the Ministry of Defence, so he should be capable of bringing down the...thing in front of us with just a few short movements. I mean, that's what they're _supposed_ to do, right?

...I think.

"Hm?" The yellow creature reminiscent of an octopus said as his eyes scanned the room, seemingly stopping an instant later as his beady eyes met mine. I froze, "Oh? There's a 27th student? Karasuma-sensei, I didn't know that this class had a transfer student."

Stop giving me the attention, already! The fact that I shot off towards my seat in an instant was already enough fact that I didn't get along with people that well! They are bloodthirsty, ravenous maniacs that would sell out one another just for a taste of their dreams! Why can't you see that you're just using me as lure in order to – Oh wait. This damn octopus...!

"Hikigaya Hachiman has officially transferred in only a day ago", the man in the suit known as Karasuma said as he sighed and shook his head, "...Unfortunately, we couldn't reach you during that time, so you weren't informed of it."

"No, no, no. I wasn't talking about that; I was talking about..." The yellow octopus paused as the pen that he grasped using a tentacle was brought up against his mouth whilst his head tilting sideways, making the perfect expression of 'someone who was thinking about plot-important things while in the middle of something important'. A second later however, and its shoulders shrugged (how can that thing have shoulders?), a sigh escaping out of its forever grinning mouth, "...Well, whatever. Hikigaya, present?"

"Present", I curtly answered, once again trying to diffuse the attention given towards me by hugging up the bag on my desk even harder, preventing my other classmates from seeing my expression. I even had my incessant cowlick down for the count with a huge dollop of hair gel. I am pretty much confident that I could hide my expressions from this position.

Learning how to hide one's expressions and emotions is a survival skill that allows even the most desperate of people (read: NEETs and otakus) to blend into society. It is a skill that comes as a side bonus from learning how to lie, since it is a direct derivation from one of humanity's most basic skills into one of humanity's most basic survival skills. Kind of comparable to making stone tools and using them to whack an animal in the head. Pretty simplistic, yet directly leads to a cause-and-effect relationship that makes the two skills even more powerful than what they could achieve alone.

Of course, these skills were put to the test the next months after my failed confession; it took nearly half of my mind and my soul in order to keep myself together by just shutting off the things that I could hear from gossips and tattletales. It was harder to keep it from my family – my parents I could handle just by keeping the conversations short. They were always on-point speakers, so I didn't have any problems on that end. No, what bugged me the most about using these two skills was because I had to use them on Komachi. My little sister, two years younger than me, who was as innocent as a princess riding an armored unicorn towards Valhalla, was the one that saw the most use out of these two skills.

I regret that I had lied to her all those months. I regret that I had to keep my expression neutral even though I was pretty sure I could burst into a sobbing wreck anytime I see her smiling at me with that thousand-watt grin of hers. When I finally broke down, I finally swore to myself that I would never lie to her, to make sure that she doesn't suffer the same pain as I had for bottling it up over the span of a few dangerous months, and when I was finally going to go with my plan to keep Komachi happy–

–I was suddenly thrusted into this hellhole of a school system, "Hikigaya-san?"

...The voice made me look up from my fifty-minute slumber, seeing a guy (is he a guy? Please let it be a guy) with light blue hair tied up to the sides of his head, wearing a dark blue vest and a black tie and some oversized cargo pants. Somehow, just looking at the guy (?) in front of me was enough to make me blink twice before I blurted out the most irresponsible thing that I had ever done since my confession to Orimoto Kaori.

Of course, since it was something irresponsible that I had done ever since my confession to Orimoto Kaori, it only had to be a confession as well, "...Will you make me miso soup every morning?"

The blue-haired guy (?) blinked, his light blue eyes staring at me with confusion written all over his face as I couldn't help but inwardly sigh and scream at myself at the same time. Sighing in relief because the guy (?) in front of me didn't get what I meant, and screaming at myself at the same time for doing something completely unwarranted and would completely alienate me from the rest of this class if someone heard my indirect marriage proposal to this guy (?).

"Hikigaya-san, I don't know what you're daydreaming about, but it's currently Japanese period", the guy (?) said as he dragged the empty seat in front of me and sat down...Wait. I didn't ask for this. Why are you currently sitting in front of me? Are we supposed to share desks? Is that it? Then go get your own damn desk and use it as a buffer! I can't exactly run away from this, you know!? "Sensei said that we should pair up for the translation work, and I already got the printout. We should get started immediately."

...I see. It seemed that my mind was in the gutter for a moment back there. If that was the case, then was I...was...gay? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Hikigaya-san, you're so funny! I know, right? There's no way that I'd ever fall for a guy! You _do_ know that I'm a perfectly straight male that's close to approaching 15 years old and ready to unleash quite a few hormones that would make me visibly uncomfortable around women, right? Why am I even bothering about my sexuality now? I already proved that I'm straight after all!

"We should", I curtly replied, as the blue-haired guy (?) in front of me started to divide the work between us, with me having the more difficult kanji to translate into – Hey. This guy is cheekier than I thought, "Um..."

"Nagisa", the blue-haired guy (?) said as his light blue eyes contorted into one of focus, trying to translate the kanji that he had assigned to himself as I couldn't help but shrug and follow his lead.

Complex symbols were simplified into two to five strokes of a pen. My hand moved swiftly, my eyes occasionally glancing towards the printout that we currently shared as my hand moved across the answer sheet like water flowing through a stream. A few minutes pass of translating kanji into more readable furigana and katakana, and I was already done with my part. I sighed in relief, glancing up towards my apparent partner, only seeing Nagisa stare at me with wide eyes. Somehow, it felt wrong.

"What?" I said, my voice coming out snappier than usual as my partner was snapped out of his (?) reverie, staring at me with a stupendously huge grin on his face as tears started to form in the corners of his eyes. Wait, what?

"Hikigaya-san..." Nagisa said with respect in his tone as he suddenly grabbed both of my hands with a wait this isn't a proposal isn't it!? Just because I _think_ that you're a guy(?) doesn't mean that you could use your inherent cuteness to win over my affection points! Only Komachi has the right to do that, and you can't substitute yourself as a cute little sister in my life! "...You're good at Japanese?"

"...Kind of had a knack for it since I was young", I said with a shrug after contemplating about what should I say for a moment. Nagisa might seem like a genuinely good guy(?) on the outside, almost all people had their true selves locked within their hearts. It's not every day that you see someone doing something genuine in this world after all, so it makes sense that a normal middle schooler like him(?) would be able to hide his true feelings and act like what society expects him to do, "And besides, it's not like Japanese only consists of translating words and phrases from one form to another. And let go of my hands. And focus on your work."

"Oh, that's right", Nagisa said, immediately letting go of my hands as a thin smile formed on his face, "Actually...I'm just average at Japanese, so if you have the time to teach me..."

I got his implication, "I don't. When I mean 'I don't', it meant that I don't have enough time to spoon-feed people information. It makes them dependent and useless, and therefore doesn't prepare them for the rigors that they face once their teacher goes away."

"Then–"

"–Which is why I'll only be giving you pointers. You'll do the rest yourself", I said, cutting in before Nagisa could speak as he widened his eyes in realization of my words. I stood up and dragged my chair to position myself besides Nagisa, and my gaze scanned his work as if I was some sort of connoisseur. A few minutes passed before I finally realize where my partner for this activity went wrong, "Here, here, and here. The syllables are too drawled out, and when pronounced, sounds like you're reading a work of Genji in slow motion. Try to make your katakanas look simplistic. You're supposed to be doing a translation, not a work of art. Also...yeah. I guess that's it for the moment."

I sighed, dragging my chair back to its original place as I glanced towards Nagisa, who was now furiously editing his part of the workload as I couldn't help but glance at the clock. Nine forty-seven. Thirteen minutes before the papers were collected and passed towards that yellow octopus that called itself a teacher.

...Somehow, I couldn't help but shrink behind that octopus' beady gaze. I'm not going to suffer the same fate as those female heroines that couldn't defeat a slime monster...right?

[–|–]

Eight in the morning. First period: English. The yellow octopus was expecting that it was just an ordinary day at the office when he opened the door towards the room, and was immediately greeted by the sight of twenty-nine students wielding specially-made guns that were designed to kill it.

Like I said, the yellow octopus was expecting that it was just another day in the office. Bullets were fired from airsoft guns, with BB bullets specially coated with who-knows-what flinging themselves at high speeds towards the octopus that called itself a teacher as the octopus simply did what it does for every ordinary day whatsoever.

It dodged. Apparently, being able to move at Mach 20 didn't clinch it for the other members of my class. It was impossible to kill this thing. But then again, it dodged. As long as I don't follow the rest of the crowd and aim at an angle that the damn octopus couldn't see, I could get a shot in. After all, the yellow bastard moved in predictable directions, and all I needed to do was to wait until the last salvo of bullets were out, and fire.

My eyes blinked, the rear sights lining up with the ones in the front as I couldn't help but smirk at this airsoft rifle. The thing was, the sights don't actually hit the target dead-on – the BB pellet needs some distance before you could actually nail someone in your sights. This classroom was just big enough that your sights would line up with your target when it was on the other side of the room. For cases wherein that minimum sighting distance isn't met, it was much better to fire on the hip and hope that trial and error would take you home. Just some facts about guns that I searched on the internet last night, but still proved invaluable for today's events.

Fifteen out of twenty-nine students had already ran out of bullets, their magazines kicking in place as they couldn't help but scowl and glower at the octopus, who was still dodging bullets like there was no tomorrow. By the rate that this was going, there were four seconds left before the last salvo was fired. In order to keep the octopus distracted from what I was planning, I sent a few dummy rounds his way at random intervals to know that I was still firing, and upon checking the amount of BBs I have left, It seems that I still had 15 pellets left before I run empty.

Three seconds left. Ten rounds remaining.

Two seconds left. Seven rounds remaining.

One second left. Three rounds remaining. Switch to burst mode, seeing that it combines both the accuracy and fire rate of both semi-automatic and full auto fire modes.

Zero. The last salvo is shot, and I pulled the trigger on the rifle that I had, with three BB pellets whistling through the air just as the yellow octopus stopped, just in time for three BBs to hit him on three different sections on his right arm.

The arm literally exploded with a splat right then and there. The class stopped; the octopus stopped; and finally, after a few seconds of waiting, I lowered my rifle as well. Now that the octopus received some damage, I need a way out of this before suspicion could be turned towards me, "Damn it. Ran out of pellets when that last salvo happened."

Suspicion had been lifted off, making my other classmates turn towards each other in confusion as the octopus grew a new arm back (seriously, if it could grow a new arm then what the hell are we doing here?). Perceptive ones would know that I still had rounds left in my gun during the last salvo, but they simply sighed and shook their heads, under the impression that my aim was also amiss just like the others.

The octopus finally spoke up after a moment of stunned silence, told us to clean up the mess that we made before we could start class. The rest of us shouted in affirmative, and began taking out the cleaning tools from the compartment at the back of the room. I also stood in line, waiting for my turn to get a broom inside as I felt a sucker land on my shoulder. I knew the only person in the world where that sound could've come from, "Sensei?"

"Hikigaya-kun", the octopus said, his voice said in the same sing-song annoying tone, but with an undertone of urgency in his voice, "...Can I talk to you in the teacher's office later?"

Did the octopus find out, or was I paranoid? In any case, thinking about such things would only jinx it and let me slip up could only serve as a deep enough hole to dig myself under. Which is the main reason as to why I simply nodded without speaking a word, and grabbed a broom from the cabinet and started cleaning.

As a future househusband-in-training, I needed to brush up on my cleaning skills for the future, after all.


	2. 2 - Only I Have No Self-Worth

**Deadeye**

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Chapter 2 – Only I Have No Self-Worth

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Teachers are the very definition of 'filthy'. Hating to break the status quo between students for they were afraid of the hammer known as the 'school system', they close off their hearts and try to treat everyone equally as much as they could, never realizing that the equality that they value was more or less a lie and gives others the chance to exploit others. Since they are in the position of authority, they are known as the lawmakers and judges of the classroom, able to bend their own laws and rules in 'favor' of another party because they believe that they were the ones in the 'right'. A quick check friends: aside from light, everything is relative. More so for 'human' concepts such as 'justice' and 'righteousness'. We're human – everything that we see is what we _want_ to see for our own gain and benefit. Teachers know it well, and use its knowledge in order to give their students some sort of 'compromise' that would be beneficial for all parties involved.

It's not. It never was, and it would never will. Teachers never get their hands dirty for the mistakes that they committed; instead, they just let everything go on as normal, hoping that the students would be able to resolve all of their problems by themselves by believing them to be 'mature' and 'collected'. The truth is: we're not. Middle schoolers lie like everyone else. Middle schoolers backstab other people in the back like everyone else. The only thing that makes us different from the supposed 'adult' teachers was our physical attributes.

"I'm coming in", I said out a little bit too loud, wincing after the fact had taken place as I slid open the door towards the teachers' office, finding the yellow octopus currently grading the Japanese printouts earlier...with his Mach 20 speed.

Seriously, if I could multiple clones like that, I would've taken 'super speed' as a power every single damn time. I mean, the guy's (I'm not sure if it is _even_ a guy) currently having like what, 16 clones currently in the damn room, wherein fifteen clones were checking our papers, and one clone was just outside, reclining on a beach chair, lounging and soaking up the afternoon rays of the sun.

...What a broken power this octopus has. And we're supposed to kill him? "Ah, Hikigaya-kun!"

I blinked, another one of the octopus' clones appearing before me in an instant as its image constantly flickered in and out of existence. Now that I stand close to him, I could see the tiny sonic booms that he was making all over the place. Seriously, what is this broken power, "Here, here! Sit down for a moment since we have a lot to discuss!"

"Sensei, you're already done checking our papers, so it's fine if you were to just dismiss whatever technique you're using right now", I said in a flat tone as the octopus blinked at me with its beady eyes, before his figure immediately stopped flickering and was replaced with the solid octopus that I had shot at earlier.

"I see", the octopus said, its voice dropping any hint of subtlety and going straight for the 'deep yet mature' tone as it gestured towards one of the benches with one of its tentacles, "Take a seat, Hikigaya-kun. I _did_ say a while back that we need to talk."

...I did what I was told, sitting down on the hard yet somewhat comfy couch as the octopus took the sofa in front of me, his tentacles twirling around one another as if he were imitating some kind of pose. Great, the next thing you'll say is that I'm going to be a robot pilot, "So sensei, what did you want to talk about?"

"Hm. Straight to the point as well, I see", the octopus said, once again blinking its beady eyes at me, "Then, I'll do the same thing as well. Hikigaya, why didn't you take credit for taking off my right arm?"

...So the octopus _did_ notice. Just how do I respond to this thing? "Well...it's nice to not get noticed for your achievements. Also a good way to keep a painted target off your back."

"Ah, I see", the octopus said, its voice now reverting back to its usual wishy-washy tone as its tentacles twirled around him, "So, what you mean is that you refuse to take the achievement for first blood because you're scared that you'll be shown in the spotlight and be bullied for it?"

Scared? Most definitely not. It's just what any sane human would do upon seeing someone achieve something that they could never do. They'll drag them down to the same level as everyone else and make him a pariah. That's what ordinary humans do. But, seeing as that kind of response would most likely elicit an adverse response from this octopus in front of me that moved at Mach 20, I settled for the easier way out, "...Yes."

"Don't worry", the octopus said, moving one of its tentacles and using it to pat my head. I don't know whether this constitutes as sexual harassment or not, but given that this octopus was an octopus, I'm definitely filing for sexual harassment. I don't want to be doujinshi fodder! "Hikigaya-kun, if someone tries to bully you, I'll be rushing towards you in order to stop them, alright?"

...Naturally, I would've scoffed, but this was an octopus that could travel at Mach 20. I have a feeling that the yellow octopus in front of me would actually back up its own words...Oh no. Is this what you would call the reliable sensei archetype? What on earth have I gotten myself into? A shounen manga?

I could only nod in response, a slight smile gracing my face as the octopus immediately recoiled from me as if he was staring at the bane of his existence, "H-H-H-Hikigaya-kun!? I-Is that how you normally smile!?"

I frowned. You ruined a somewhat emotional moment that could've changed my outlook on my life just because you saw me smiling. And yes, that was my smiling face. I'm sorry if it was so creepy that even a yellow _octopus_ out of all things would be weirded out by it, but I haven't smiled ever since what...second grade?

"Yes, that's how I normally smile", I replied in a flat tone, trying to defuse the sudden change in mood as the octopus stopped looking like he almost had a heart attack, "I'm sorry that I have such a disgusting smile sensei. It's not like I was able to do such a thing anyway, so please forgive me for not practicing enough..."

You know what? Screw it. I'll just play along with the octopus here, for all that I could care. He's good at reading the mood, so I think that he did that just because he wanted me to laugh or something. Well, I won't laugh, but I'll play the straight man as much as you'd like, octopus.

...Not that I'm slowly getting attached to you or anything. Please don't misunderstand, thank you very much.

"Sensei?" Nagisa's voice wafted out from the entrance towards the teacher's office as the octopus blinked. By that reaction, it still meant that Mach 20 wasn't enough for him to predict the situation that was unfolding in front of him. Ah well, might as well enjoy this until it lasts. I'm quite the good-natured fan of plays, after all.

...It was sarcasm, common sense. Please brush up your skills in that area, thank you very much, "Come in!"

The door slid open, and the blue-haired guy(?) entered the teachers' office with a worried look on his face, immediately catching my attention as I unconsciously stood up alongside the octopus and made our way towards where Nagisa was. Somehow, this gut feeling that I felt was enough to make my blood run cold.

Something's wrong here. Something's wrong with Nagisa. Gone was the generally amiable guy(?) that I had seen in the past few days, here he was, wearing down his self-imposed walls as both me and the octopus finally stood just in front of him.

Then, just one more step before we finally reached him, I saw an unnatural green bulge that was tucked inside his blue vest.

I didn't know what happened, just that my body had moved into action before Nagisa did whatever he was supposed to do. I tackled him by the shoulders, slamming him down towards the wooden floor as he let out a surprised yelp of both surprise and pain, the bulge finally making its presence known to all of us as the octopus behind us let out a surprised scream in horror, meeting the thin smile of regret on my face just as the grenade that Nagisa held close to him exploded.

[–|–]

"Sorry", Nagisa said, grinning at me with regret written all over his(?) face as he(?) sat by the foot of my bed, scratching his(?) cheek as he lightly bowed, "...Once again, I'm sorry."

"I'm just out of commission for the rest of the day", I said with a sigh as I tried to sit up, immediately regretting my decision an instant later as I winced, the pain in my chest suddenly spiking up like the fires of Hell had come to grace me with their presence themselves, "Besides, that octopus is coming later for some supplementary lessons, and knowing him..."

"...He'll pamper you to no end, huh?" Nagisa replied, immediately reading my mind as he(?) looked upon me with pity. Hey, take that back! I don't deserve pity! The fact that the octopus is going to take care of my injuries was at first horrifying, but when I saw him do his magic I am now content to just sit back and let him feed me free food and drinks for the rest of the day! And free food and drinks are a man's greatest pleasure! "And Hikigaya-san...It's not 'octopus' anymore. Apparently, Kayano started to call him 'Korosensei', so I think that it would be best if you know our teacher's name as well."

Korosensei, huh? Just what the hell was that name? Was it supposed to be a stealth pun? I'm pretty sure it was one, but the one who named that octopus has bad taste! Since he's going to destroy the world anyway, why not just call him by every insult that you can think of? Or a cool one, seeing that he could go at Mach 20? You could call him 'Suzuki' or 'Iname' or 'Soni'– wait that would be copyright infringement. Still, even though I abhor the fact that it contains such a terrible pun, I actually have to give kudos to Kayano for coming up with a good name.

If it was me, I'm pretty sure I would say 'Great Hamlet Slayer 5432', so it's better to delegate the task of naming the octopus to Kayano, "It's a nice name. Better than what I could ever come up with, if you're wondering about it."

"Probably", Nagisa said with a small smirk on his(?) face as I couldn't help but blink at him(?), "I doubt that you'd be able to name something that's as cool as they come like 'Korosensei' after all."

"Are you an esper?" I fired back almost immediately as Nagisa smiled at me, forcing me to look away from him(?). Just what the hell is this skill of yours? Does everyone in the E-Class know some genjutsu or something? Don't use Marin Karin on me! We're both the same gender (I think)!

"Ne, Hikigaya-san", Nagisa said, his head already turned away from me as I couldn't help but frown at him. Did he intentionally face away so that I couldn't see his expression? "...Why did you help Korosensei back then? I was...I was supposed to kill him back then, you know..."

...Somehow, I could tell that Nagisa is an idiot right then and there. An idiot that is easily manipulated by the people around him(?), and dare I say it was that delinquent group, "You damn idiot. You can't enjoy the ten billion yen if you're dead."

"The same thing could go with you", Nagisa said as he(?) choked a little bit on his(?) last words, "If Korosensei hadn't been there when the grenade exploded...you would've been dead."

"I _was_ close to death", I said with a frown, "...It only helps that I've got an alien moving at the speed of Mach 20 ready to save me at an instant."

"It was dangerous. You should've known that", Nagisa said, and I could imagine him(?) biting his lip in frustration, "I should've been the one who got injured, Hikigaya-san. Why would you–"

"You have more worth than me, as simple as that. It was simply a matter of weighing whether or not who would be more missed in this world", I said with a tired sigh, "You have Kayano and the rest of the people in the E-Class. Think about their reactions when they find out that you killed yourself for nothing by trying to blow Korosensei up. As for me, I've only got the company of me, myself, and I in this world. I only have three family members, and they could easily have any trace of me wiped when I died. Twenty people versus three. It's kind of obvious as to what would be the more correct decision."

"But still...simply throwing your life away because of that..." Nagisa clenched his(?) fists, and I couldn't help but frown and scowl at him.

"Pot calling the kettle black?" I said, my tone coming out sharper than I had expected as Nagisa perked up in response to my statement, "Only people who think that they have no self-worth would be able to do such a thing. You think that you have no self-worth because you were physically intimidated by that excuse of a two-bit delinquent? You think that it gives you the right to call me out on my actions when you were doing the same thing? _I_ wasn't the one who caved in from Terasaka and his gang. _I_ wasn't the one that strapped a grenade onto his chest and tried to bait Korosensei into dropping his guard. _I_ wasn't the one who left his life in the hands of other people that he needed to be saved by a guy with the eyes of a dead fish. No. It was _you_ Nagisa, _you_ who had waltzed in and tried to kill yourself with a grenade, and it was _me_ who had to step in and make sure that you didn't kill yourself due to the blowback."

"...I have less self-worth that you might ever think that you can imagine", I spat back out, the memories of my second year in middle school flowing back into my mind as I couldn't help but condense it into pure, unadulterated rage and throw it at Nagisa, "You never knew that you could screw up so much with just one event. You never knew that your entire life could be ruined by just a single decision you've made. Some other people might have their circumstances forced onto them, and it's fine to blame the unknown forces at play, but I ruined my life by my _own_ decision. I accepted the facts, I accepted the consequences, I locked myself in my room and watched my grades plummet that the school that I was in had no choice but to dismiss me when I stopped coming to class. It took my parents over three damn weeks in order to get me out of my room, and an entire month in order to encourage me to enroll to this school. You think that you have no self-worth? You have no idea. I had dragged myself to hell and back because of _my_ decision. I chose to be here because of _my_ decision. And right now, _my_ decision is to protect you from that grenade and take the most of the blast. It was _my_ own decision that drove me to save you, and not because of _you._ "

"..." Nagisa was silent for a few moments, still keeping his(?) head turned away from my gaze as I noticed that his(?) knuckles were already bone white. A few moments passed between us as I let the words sink in, a simple sigh escaping my lips as I couldn't help but immerse myself into the covers of the bed that I was in, "...Why?"

Why. Why he(?) asks. Given the way that I had managed to speak for five minutes without breaking a sweat, I was pretty sure that I included the main reason as to why I had helped him(?) a while back. That I was doing it for my sake, and not his(?). That I only had three people to my name, while Nagisa had twenty more. Twenty more people with bonds that I knew were thicker than the own blood that flowed through his(?) body.

"I already told you why", I said, leveling a glower at Nagisa, "...Now leave me alone please. I need to rest."

Silence reigned throughout the air, with Nagisa letting out a wistful sigh a second later as he(?) stood up from his bed, shaking his(?) head at me as he left his parting words, "I see, Hikigaya-san. It seems that I must apologize for my actions then, if it was the case."

...As the door to the clinic closed, I could only sigh in both relief and irritation as I caught the expression on Nagisa's face. Determination. Respect...and another emotion that frankly made chills run down my spine and made sure that I wouldn't be sleeping for a good four hours.

"...Korosensei, eavesdrop on me one more time and you'll be getting more than a burst of BBs in your face. Got that?"

"H-How did you know that I was eavesdropping!?"

Because you're predictable as hell, Korosensei.

[–|–]

Physical Education. Also known as PE. A subject that focused on strengthening the body in order to develop a lean physique that everyone saw on magazines and TV. But then again, the fashion industry is a scam. Why would they spend so much time investing on changing the mindset of young kids nowadays in order to oh right, they gain more money for it. A few hundred million yen in the bank wouldn't compare to the billions that would come roaring out of insecure teenagers that prioritize physical superficiality rather than mental and psychological enhancement.

Which is why I liked to be paired alone when doing PE, "Hikigaya, are you sure you want to do this?"

Karasuma-sensei (he apparently transferred in after the rest of my classmates thought how absurd it was to be taught PE by an alien that goes at Mach 20 – which was true) looked at me with a rubber knife in my right hand, furrowing his brows at me in response, "You know that I won't be able to hold back, right?"

"Please don't", I replied with a resolute nod, catching my other classmates already forming up pairs based on their familiarity, and trying to hit each other with all they got. Heh, fools. Don't you know that the best way to gain experience is confronting the teacher himself? "...It seems a little too late to try and pair up with one of my classmates after all."

"That's true", Karasuma-sensei said with a resigned sigh, "Since there are 27 of you in the class, that just means that one of you has to pair up with me–"

I took a chance at stabbing his left flank, but my forearm was quickly deflected away by a sharp jerk from his left arm. It smarts, but the pain was enough for me to focus, "Tch."

"Going for a preemptive strike is certainly a wise decision when you don't know your enemy's capabilities, Hikigaya", Karasuma-sensei said as he gave me an acknowledging nod, "Especially if all you know about your enemy is that he or she is stronger than you, then one would naturally want to assassinate someone without the prey being able to fight back–"

Once again, I swiped, but the fact that Karasuma-sensei had gotten hold of my right arm meant that my movement was too slow. I felt my body jerk forward, being yanked out of its center of gravity, and I could feel my body falling as Karasuma-sensei followed up with an elbow to the small of my back.

I wasn't going to simply let that happen.

I whirled, my body only having a split-second decision to cross my arms over my groin, aiming to deflect or at least parry the damn blow away from one of my most vital areas. However, an instant later, the back of my head connected with the ground, forcing my vision to blur for a moment as pain shot out from the back of my skull, the blow from Karasuma-sensei hitting me in the groin as I couldn't help but yell in pain and black out.

...Take two. Lean back, prepare for charge. Position allows speed, and also allows the benefit of turning quickly just in case countered by a frontal kick. One second passes. I charge forward, rubber knife swinging in small yet well-timed arc. Upon moment of contact, pointed edge digs into skin, and momentum forces rending of flesh. But once again, rubber knife held in hands. Impossible to wound with implement.

As expected, Karasuma-sensei intercepts with a frontal kick. Given form, likely to be frontal kick to jerk my momentum off-balance and once again disable. Use form to quickly turn direction, avoid kick at last moment. Kick avoided, duck low, sweep to unbalance, grab handful of dirt to blind as back-up. Karasuma-sensei already regained balance by using other hand as pivot point to flip back. Unfair. I hate gymnastics. Initiate back-up plan. Throw handful of dirt towards eyes. Successfully blind for a short instant, and dash in.

Speed too slow. Karasuma-sensei recovers. Grabs outstretched arm and yanks, pulling balance forward. Can't dodge incoming knee to gut. Speed too fast and form not optimal to change direction. Breath gone when knee collides, met with elbow to nape from the right. Black out.

Take three. Make-up plans along the way. Use environmental advantage, stack into favor. Known advantages: short height, analytical mind. Known disadvantages: short height, short reach, attempts at balancing. Must weave around teacher's strikes like a boxer. Never stay in one spot. Probe for openings.

Karasuma-sensei, not moving. Static defense; knows I cannot win if he doesn't move from his position. Try to provoke – no, won't work. Mentality of trained soldier; won't move until necessary. One option left.

Drop weapon. Teacher widens eyes in response. Unknown variable suddenly thrown into equation. Teacher takes step forward, uncertain of opponent's (my) motives. Another step, and he dashed towards me. Frontal attack. Simple charge. Relying on momentum to knock me down to ground.

Reach behind back in response. Pull out BB gun, assume stance in less than a blink of an eye. Fire once. Target misses, BB whistled through air and grazes right temple. Readjust aim. Fire again. Target hit, right shoulder. Charge still not stopping. Step towards side, watching teacher drop low and sweep. Balance lost. Teacher gains, readies another elbow strike like last time. Split-second before vision is impaired in lieu to head crashing into ground. Gun already found target, requires trigger fire. Only, pulling trigger leads to disoriented vision. Trump card up in sleeve, activated. Smile. Teacher freezes for a second. Vision disorients for an instant. Sights locked onto forehead.

Fire.

...Karasuma-sensei down for the count. Looks and shouts of obvious surprise could be heard from my classmates as I couldn't help but grimace at the unwanted attention, with Karasuma-sensei finally sighing in relief with a small grin on his face as he looked down towards me, the center of his forehead having a red mark eerily shaped like a circle.

"That was good, Hikigaya", Karasuma-sensei said as he extended a hand towards me and I grabbed it, letting the military man carry me upwards like it was nothing as I dusted myself off. Damn, I felt horrible. Especially with the groin shot and the unconsciousness...Ugh. I think I just shivered back there, "I didn't even see that gun until you pulled it out of thin air. Where did you hide it?"

"Small of my back", I replied, wanting nothing more than to take a rest and just go sleep, "Main reason why I took the groin shot during the first round."

"'Faking defeat to snatch victory at the hands of death'...huh", Karasuma-sensei said, his smile growing wider as he shook my hand, "You're interesting, Hikigaya. But still, this is assassination class, not a fighting one. If you make a mistake once..."

He didn't finish what he was going to say. I knew it anyway. There's no reason for Karasuma-sensei to say it out loud as well. If I screw up just once, then it would be the end of me. That was it. Really nothing to it.

"Alright, the rest of you gather round and gather up!" Karasuma-sensei said, his baritone voice rumbling through the air of the lot around him as the rest of my classmates stood at attention and immediately ceased at what they were doing. Wait, what? Was this a military academy? I'm pretty sure it's not. What the hell, people? I'm pretty sure Karasuma-sensei isn't the drill sergeant type, right? I mean, he's at _least_ at major rank, so technically the drill sergeant thing doesn't stick, "That concludes our PE for today. Tomorrow, you'll be doing the same routine. Your end goal...is to try and hit me in just one round. Does that sound good?"

Cheers of assent echoed throughout the whole class as Karasuma-sensei dismissed them and they went towards the classroom with beaming smiles on their faces. I sighed. Normalfags. Riajuus. Go and blow yourselves up for all I care, "Hikigaya?"

"...Yes, sensei?"

"You did good."

I smiled, ever-so slightly, not the extremely obvious one that would've scared everyone witless, even including Karasuma-sensei. Which is the main reason why I toned down my smile and simply nodded in assent, before also moving towards the satellite campus itself.

[–|–]

I walked upon the stairs, seeing a redhead with a psychopathic smirk on his face. One look at the guy and you immediately feel that he was dangerous, threatening, and most of all – cocky. Three character traits that seriously pissed me off.

It was why I gave him one of my smiles as I walked past by him, relishing the expression on his face as the dangerous smile immediately dropped in favor of something that was much more stoic than I had expected.

Looks like a smile always brings out the best in people, huh?

* * *

 **AN: The reason why 8man's so good at combat? Just keep on reading.**


	3. 3 - A Bonnet and a Pair of Glasses

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 3 – A Bonnet and a Pair of Glasses

* * *

Karma Akabane. The infamous student that had gotten out of suspension earlier had apparently succeeded in wounding Korosensei by lining his hands with the strips of an anti-octopus knife. He had managed to explode the octopus' entire right hand, making him the second student to actually wound the yellow octopus.

The first, if one does not count my tirade with the rifle.

He had all what my past self would've wanted: good looks, good grades, and everything else in between. It was only put off by the sheer amount of psychotic aura that the guy exuded, and I swore that I would've seen a guy wearing a hockey mask in his place if I was delusional enough to believe so. If he had an advantage over all of us, he lorded it as if he were some kind of messiah. If he believed that we were underneath him, he would relentlessly mock us until we grew tired of his antics and ignored him. This guy has some kind of complex in his head – _that_ I was sure, but trying to find it out was asking if I want to go down to the Underworld and get Eurydice for myself. I would've done it in a heartbeat...if only I was Orpheus.

Better research these kinds of symptoms later in my apartment.

"Hikigaya, you use a smartphone?" I perked up, seeing Nakamura Rio look at me with curiosity in her eyes as she eyed the blue-and-white smartphone that I currently held in my hands, "How unexpected. You're surprisingly rich, Hikigaya. HH "

Woman. First things first, don't call my last name in an informal manner. Any ordinary boy is going to get some misunderstandings about their relationship with you. Also, why are you leaning forward? Why are you leaning into my personal space? I'm sorry, but the law states that I can sue you for sexual harassment right here and now. So get off before I start making good on what I can do.

"I'm just in the middle class. Buzz off", I replied, trying to end the conversation early as the blonde-haired woman in front of me simply laughed whilst holding a hand over her mouth. Since you're not an ojou-sama type, I'm going to assume you're the type to play pranks on people. Which means you're the most troublesome classmate that I have to deal since...when did I last have some sort of interaction with my classmates again?

"Tch", Nakamura said, clicking her tongue as I couldn't help but widen my eyes at her. Seriously? You resent being rebuffed by _that_ much? Should I talk to her just in case? No Hikigaya, she already sees you as creepy – you'll only cement her belief in you. Why thanks, common sense, I already knew that. You're welcome, Hikigaya-san– You damn idiot, that was sarcasm. Learn from past mistakes, you idiot! "Never knew you were _this_ much of a killjoy, Hikigaya."

...It seems that she was too blind to blatantly notice the current threat to her current well-being sitting in front of her whilst mindlessly playing with his phone. Now get the message and leave me alone. _Please._

"If killjoy really existed then I would be the death of the universe then", I replied back in a monotone as Nakamura blinked at me, her blue eyes looking at me in confusion before she started to laugh.

"Wha – So you _do_ possess a sense of humor, after all!" Nakamura said as she laughed, holding her sides in order to try and hold herself back as I simply sighed in return and fished out the earphones from my pocket, placing them on my ears as I tried my best to diminish my presence and not get noticed by anyone–

–I ducked, immediately whirling around me as I drew the pistol that I hid behind my back, pointing it towards someone who would dare disrupt my peace as my dead fish eyes met with violent red ones, seeing Karma holding out a rubber knife that failed to touch my nape.

Slowly, I reached out with my left hand towards my ear while keeping the pellet gun trained on Karma, removing the earphone from the left side of my head as I leveled a blank stare at him, "...Way to get someone's attention. What do you want?"

"Just testing out the abilities of someone who took down Karasuma-sensei in a spar", Karma said still with a sneer on his face as he slowly sheathed his rubber knife from who-knows-where, "It looks like you don't disappoint, Hikigaya. How about a friendly spar after classes?"

"No thanks", I immediately refused. Guessing by how he looked thin while wearing a bunch of different clothing like that, he's got to be buff as hell inside. Someone that I don't want to fight head-on in any way possible, "Though, thanks for the invitation. If you want someone to spar, then you could've asked Karasuma-sensei."

"I did, but he refused, saying that I should go and try to spar with you first, Hikigaya", he said, his smile already looking like a predator going for the kill as I couldn't help but smirk inside my head. It's only the moment that victory is apparent that the predator drops his guard, after all.

"Sorry, but I already had an earlier engagement with Nakamura", I said, shocking the blonde-haired girl who was currently trying to annoy the hell out of me as I silenced her with a stare, asking her with my eyes to read the mood and help me out here. I was banking on our common aversion to Karma in order to pull this true, but if my prediction was off for a bit...

"Eh? Nakamura-san, is this true?" Karma said, his devil-like gaze staring at the blonde with genuine curiosity in his eyes as my temporary accomplice nodded in response, shooting me a sly grin in the process.

...I'm now wondering whether I should've really gone through with this plan or not, "Yeah, we're planning on visiting a few game stores, then we're going to separate from each other at the station. Got a problem with that?"

"Nothing, really, but...Oh? What's wrong, Hikigaya?" Karma said, his red eyes gleaming with ill intent, obviously intending to tease me about the made-up situation that Nakamura had made up in an instant. I don't know whether or not that I should be impressed that Nakamura had the wits to do something like that in such a short amount of time or that I should be suspicious that Nakamura had played the part of accomplice a bit too smoothly. It was as if she already had plans for me...

...But avoiding Karma was a priority for now, "Is this your first time going on a date?"

Well, no need to lie to him about it. It's not like they could use it for ammunition anyway, "Now that I think about it, yes."

"Nakamura, are you _sure_ you're going on a date with this guy? I thought you preferred experienced boys", Karma said with a sneer on his face as Nakamura grinned slyly at me. Alright, let me take back my words. You two are the worst. How can you turn my inexperience in dating into a weapon that can be used to wound my heart and pride? Scary. Scary, these two. I need to retreat fast–

"Well, pure innocent boys like Hikigaya have their own charm, after all~" Nakamura said while shooting a smile of pure malice towards me and wait did I just hear that correctly!?

Scary! Nakamura-san, you are scary! Just what are you doing in your life by tossing out those lines in a carefree tone!? Are you a player!? Is that it!? Are you the type to play around with boys' hearts and throw them away once you're done!? Since when did I associate with such a dangerous company here!?

...Right, just earlier. Damn it Hachiman, you're supposed to be better than this! "Well, since there's still a bit of time after we go to that game store, we're probably going to go around a few more places before we part ways at the station, so can you leave us alone for a moment, Karma?"

"Hm? Sure", the red-haired devil said, waving at us with a smirk on his face as he left the room, "I'm going to bother that octopus for some more entertainment, so just keep on talking, you guys."

...Given how Korosensei was pissed at your antics, I'm pretty sure you're going to like his reactions.

"So Hikigaya, are you sure that you should just be spacing out and allowing the girl to take the reins of the conversation?" Nakamura said, shooting a cheeky grin at me as I gave her a blank stare, "I didn't expect you to be such a doormat, but oh well. I guess that's another part of your charm too."

"...Thanks", I simply said in return, causing Nakamura to smile at me as she brought out her phone and nudged it towards me.

"Friends are supposed to help each other out, right?" Nakamura said with a cheeky grin on her face as she forced her phone into my hands, "Give me your number, Hikigaya. We can go to more outings this way, right?"

Friends. Just because I had asked her to help me from my current situation and she had responded accordingly to it, it makes the two of us friends? I'm pretty sure that she would use that as leverage in order to force me on whatever farce that she's going to put me on, and seeing that smile on her face meant that my thoughts were spot-on. How does this make us friends, exactly? This is more of a give-and-take relationship rather than friendship, where unpaid favors are rather common between friends. How is this exactly friendship– "Hikigaya, you're spacing out again!"

I perk up. Was I lost in my thoughts or something? I think it wasn't the case, but I'll apologize just in case, "Sorry."

"Why are you even apologizing?" Nakamura said with an awkward smile plastered on her face as she scratched her cheek, "I just realized that you just like thinking. Sorry if I intruded on your thoughts."

I frowned, "Why are you even apologizing?"

"Hm? I don't know. Weird, huh? Must be something on my mind, then", Nakamura said, trying to deflect my statement as I couldn't help but sigh. No matter what I do against her, I'm hopeless, aren't I? Being played by a woman on a whim...Somehow, I can't help but want to die just at the thought of it.

"Ne, Hikigaya", Nakamura said after a short moment of silence as I slowly inputted my number onto her phone, taking my time to do the same thing on my phone while glancing up towards her, "You're seriously planning on going with me to the game store later?"

"I need some new games for my Vita-chan", I replied in a flat tone as Nakamura blinked at me, "What? I only brought a few games with me from my house, so I'm currently lacking in good entertainment. Oh, and can we pass by a bookstore later? I need to buy a few volumes of some of the light novels that I'm currently reading..."

"Y-You sure are hyped up for this, Hikigaya..." Nakamura said as she stared at me with a weird expression on her face, "Are you sure you won't mind that this is technically a date?"

...My thoughts grinded to a halt for a bit. Indeed, this might be misconstrued as a date. We were talking in hushed tones – especially when Karma was around – but seeing as the red-haired devil would tell the whole class about our supposed talk, even if we chose to not go with the plan, it was hopeless. It was, in any case, a waste of time and resources to cancel the damn thing, especially since I would be technically wasting a day replaying games and rereading books, when I could've immersed myself with something new rather than shut myself in my room in the first place.

"Given what Karma's planning to do with the information that we've given him, I won't", I stated, hammering in the fact that Karma was planning to spread the fact that me and Nakamura were planning on going out – and god forbid what my other classmates would think about that, "Since we're screwed either way, I suggest you just take this chance and get this over with."

"Eh, fair point", Nakamura said as she shrugged, giving me a smirk in the process as she winked at me, "So, when do we meet up?"

"We're literally in the same class", I deadpanned as Nakamura laughed at my expense. Yes, yes, I know it's funny, but someone with enough common sense should've already dragged you out in an alleyway and stab you to death for that joke, "So, later?"

"Got it", she said, swiping her phone back from me as a thin smile formed on her face, one that I could tell was born out of frank enthusiasm. Somehow, I couldn't help but smile lightly given the sight. I was getting too soft. Didn't I tell myself that I needed to extricate myself from others? Yeah you did, past self, but for a certain someone, it's not working. Well, you're in a situation that would normally make people crazy, so I'm actually more curious as to how you're currently staying sane, present self. Simple past self: the fact that I'm talking to you now means that I'm not sane in the first place. Right. See? "Thanks Hikigaya. See you later then!"

Turning back towards me, I watched Nakamura go off towards Nagisa, probably to tease him like what she tried to do with me. Rest in peace, Nagisa. I will always remember you when I graduate from Kunugigaoka.

I could only chuckle at the sight in front of me as I replaced my earphones, the music of PreCure washing my worries away as I slowly drifted off towards the sea of unconsciousness.

[–|–]

"Ow", I said, grunting at the slight pain caused by Nakamura's bag hitting my left arm as I met her gaze, seeing the blonde frown at me about...something. What's her problem now? "What is it?"

"I can't believe that you were going to ditch me out of all people", she said, placing her hands on her hips and leaning forward as if she were an annoying childhood friend that was lecturing someone else. Seriously, I didn't ditch you. I was just finding a suitable spot for me to wait for you just in case that gossiping octopus is around...But then again, he's probably being harassed by Karma again, so I'd like to give that devil my thanks, as much as it pains me to say that thanking the devil isn't really my forte, "Are you seriously the type of person that would leave their date behind just because they're late?"

"Hey, my time is precious. I could've used it to watch more anime and stuff", I quipped back as Nakamura's scowl deepened. Oh come on woman, I'm already wasting my time just waiting for us to start moving, and yet here you are, trying to chastise me for trying to leave my (not) date behind. I mean, the game store closes at eight, you know? You're going to be the one at fault if I can't get the latest Monster Hunter for my Vita-chan, you know? You're also going to be responsible if I can't get my manga and light novels on time, you know? You knoooooooow~

... _Damn_ that sounded annoying. I would've been pissed off if I heard that from someone else, "Hikigaya, come back to earth. You're spacing out again."

Is she talking to me? Yes she's talking to you, common sense. Now go and return back here or I'll force you to do so. You're scary, you know? Of course, I'm Hikigaya Hachiman. What would you expect? "And you're doing it again."

"...Sorry", I manage to eke out, causing Nakamura to sigh at me whilst shaking her head in response.

"You should be", she said, a thin frown on her face as she began walking down the mountain that the satellite campus was in, "Let's go."

I sighed, following after the blonde whilst trying to keep pace, trying not to mind the flash of red and yellow that I saw from the bushes off to my side. It seems that the octopus always has a mind for gossip. Seriously, keep on acting like that, and I'll probably dart my eyes everywhere at once just so that I can see whether someone was watching me or something.

It could be a Skill. Oh yeah, let's go for one-hundred and eight of them. It sounds _much_ cooler than just having five hundred of them, "Say, Hikigaya..."

"Yeah?" Damn it woman, stop interrupting my thought processes! Can't you see that I'm planning for something big and cool here!? At least read the damn mood woman – did you know that it's a must for all people to avoid being an insensitive prick!?

"About Karasuma-sensei earlier..." She said, keeping her voice down just in case that someone around us might hear our conversation – i.e. a certain gossipmonger that tries to pass itself off as a yellow octopus. Wait, so that meant that she also saw Korosensei a while back? "...Did you actually win?"

"Hell no", I immediately replied. I don't want to gather more attention than there is now, "When he just dropped his guard, I gladly went in and took it. Oh, and with a little bit of cheating as well. You _did_ notice me firing a pistol at him, right?"

"Yeah, but like I saw Karasuma-sensei's face during that time, you know? Made me lose against Okuda-san, but still", she said, a sly grin on her face as she glanced towards me, "You should've seen the look on Karasuma-sensei's face. He was like 'Just where did he pull out that gun!?, you know!? It's just so funny!"

As Nakamura laughed, I could only grimace by the loudness of her tone as we made our way out of the campus grounds and towards the city. I mean, does this woman know what 'keeping a low profile' means? I'm pretty sure she doesn't. Or was it because that she already knew that both that octopus and devil were spying on us that it was just useless to keep a low profile? I wouldn't know. As far as I'm concerned this woman seems to be unreadable, "Oh, Hikigaya, checking out your date already? Didn't your parents teach you about manners?"

And there it is. The signature teasing, "They did. Although, they didn't give me any advice on girls like you, so I'm winging it here."

"Hikigaya, you're just so funny, you know!" She said, slapping my shoulder as she laughed out loud, and I couldn't help but wince in pain. I'm sorry, but it hurts. Like, it seriously hurts. Please stop doing that – a simple long-sleeved polo isn't enough to cushion the blows from your attacks. My HP is already falling at a higher rate than I expected, and I might drop dead before we even get to that game store – Ow. Nakamura-san, why are you pinching my palm? It hurts, so please stop it, "...Hikigaya, you're spacing out again. You're going to run into a pole at this rate, you know?"

"Sorry. Just chalk it up to me acting like an idiot, so I'm sorry", I said, a thin frown forming on Nakamura's face as she averted my gaze and stared straight ahead.

"...Hikigaya, everytime you try and apologize you just keep making those eyes of yours worse", she said, her tone completely even and composed as I couldn't help but blink in shock. However, a second later, she already turned back towards me with the usual grin on her face, "That's why we're going to try and cover them up with something that'll hide them."

"A blindfold would be the best, then", I replied before I yelped in pain, my side being hit by a stray blow from Nakamura as I couldn't help but glare at her. Seriously, what the hell woman!? I'm trying to make a joke here!

"The main purpose of a joke is to make people laugh, not to dig yourself deeper in a hole", Nakamura said with a sigh as she shook her head at me, "...Seriously Hikigaya, what _were_ you doing before you were transferred into the E-Class? I peeked at your papers, and to be frank you could've easily competed on Karma's level."

"There was nothing else that I could've done while I shut myself in that room. The net, manga, anime, and light novels can only entertain you for so long until you finally scream in boredom and start studying", I answered her honestly as she stopped and looked at me with shock, and I answered her question before she could put it into words, "Don't ask. I...had a rough time."

"I...see", Nakamura said, now being slightly left behind as she quickened her pace to keep up with me. Now if my mind told me correctly, the game store was just around the corner... "So, want to hit an accessory shop before heading towards that game store?"

"...You're paying, though."

"Tch. Did your parents tell you to always make your date pay for everything?"

"Hey, you were the one that suggested it, so be the one to pay for it", I said, defending myself whilst holding up my arms in a compromise as Nakamura clicked her tongue, shaking her head at me in resignation as we turned the sidewalk, immediately finding the accessory shop immediately as Nakamura grabbed my hand and dragged me into it.

Wait a minute. My father always told me that women shopped far longer than what they're supposed to do. Wait, it's already six-thirty in the evening, and judging by his words that would've meant that we would be exiting by about nine in the evening! And that was just a generous estimate! Wait! Stop! The game store closes by eight, so I can't buy games if I'm being lugged around by a woman in the middle of shopping! Wait, I'm willing to compromise – "Here. Try these on, and tell me what you think."

I blinked, looking at Nakamura with shock on my face as I was met with her glowering at me, "What? Unlike what you think, I shop far quicker. Now go and try those on and tell me what you think."

The second time wasn't just a request like the first time that she said it. It was a command, forcing me to do it unless I wanted some consequence that I'd rather regret. Like holding me here in this shop as she forces me to try everything in the storefront on, for example.

...Nakamura is scary. Women are scary. The lot of them, except for Komachi. My little sister is always cute and brings a smile to the family.

I stood up and went towards one of the mirrors that were set up about the shop, looking at the accessories that Nakamura had forced into my hand as I couldn't help but blink at them. A bonnet and a pair of glasses. Are these seriously enough for me to reduce the disgusting appeal of my eyes down? I like them quite the way they are now.

...Though, seeing that Nakamura's glower intensifying by the minute, I could only sigh in resignation and put the glasses on, the frame fitting my face perfectly. The gray bonnet came after, noting how it fit snugly onto my head as I couldn't help but glance at the mirror in front of me. I couldn't help but widen my eyes at the sight.

The glasses hid the strained and dry look of my eyes, and the bonnet emphasized my eyes by cutting off the parts of my face that one can see. The annoying cowlick that was on the top of my head moved its position – goddamn that hair – and was now sticking out of the bonnet like a horn.

...Somehow, I look like a nerd wearing these. Is this seriously alright? "Nakamura, I don't really think that this is–"

"Ah, it looks good Hikigaya!" My blonde classmate said, her signature grin on her face as she placed her hands on her hips and smiled at me, "Come on, let's go pay for those already and let's go to the game store!"

...It seems that I never had a choice in the matter. I'm sorry father; I'm sorry mother – your son has been played for a fool by a woman, something that you had always feared given my innocent (lol) and trusting (not) personality. Sighing in resignation, I quickly took off the accessories that Nakamura had gotten for me and quickly gave it to her, watching in peace as she quickly went to the cashier and quickly paid for the two items.

...Somehow, I feel guilty, "Here, Hikigaya! Wear them now!"

I sighed, taking the things that she had bought and immediately wore them, my head still slightly irritated at the cowlick moving towards its new position as I couldn't help but grumble and twirl it around a finger. Seriously, it just feels so weird and now Nakamura's laughing, "...What?"

"Yeah", she said, a smile on her face as she nodded at me, "That look suits you better, Hikigaya. Now let's go to that game store and let me see what kind of games that you've been playing to pass your time."

I could only nod in response to my classmate's words as she quickly exited the shop that we were in, with me trailing shortly behind her as we entered the game store that was beside the accessory shop, my sight being greeted by a bunch of shelves with game discs, with the cashier being directly to my right and greeting us for stopping by.

I gave a nod in recognition, and immediately went loose as my feet carried me towards the aisles for the PS Vita games. My eyes scanned the shelves, immediately going towards the area where the games were at a percentage off as my eyes immediately caught the telltale sign of something made by Atlus.

Since I've got nothing to do in the upcoming weekends, I guess I'll spend my time playing slice-of-life anime Pokémon simulator. Needless to say, it was the Golden version of Persona 4 – "Ah."

"Ah", a voice said, immediately shrinking back from the copy of the game as I did the same thing as well, my gaze immediately shooting up to meet the person's gaze as I couldn't help but widen my eyes in surprise, "Kanzaki-san?"

Just what is the Yamato Nadeshiko doing in a place like a game store? "H-Huh? H-How did you know my name...?"

Ah, right. Good job, me. Of course, almost no one recognizes you in this new get-up of yours, so it's painfully obvious that I must look like a stalker to this girl right now. I mean, if you suddenly see a guy wearing suspicious clothing and knowing your name, wouldn't you also assume that someone's a stalker?

Which is why I have to say my thanks again to Nakamura, who just idly trashed through the awkward mood in the air, "Ah, I finally found you, Hikigaya! I was wondering whether or not you ditched me already, but then I see you here in the PS Vita section and wait, Kanzaki-san?"

"Huh? Nakamura-san?" Kanzaki said as she tilted her head to the side, staring at my blonde classmate as her eyes widened in recognition, "Wait, if what you're saying is true, then–"

"Hikigaya Hachiman, the transfer student. Nice to meet you, Kanzaki-san, though judging by the look on your face it would be correct to assume that we haven't spoken yet", I said, immediately explaining the situation to the bewildered beauty of the class, "...I'm sorry – Ugh!"

"Like I said Hikigaya, don't apologize for something that you didn't do", Nakamura said while shooting me a glare, "It's honestly unsettling, and it's kind of weird for other people to see you just apologizing like that, so don't try and do it again."

"What are you, my mother?" I fired back almost immediately as Kanzaki let out a surprised yelp, her amber eyes glancing towards the two of us as I couldn't help but sigh. Right, she was here. Misunderstanding coming in three, two, one–

"H-Huh? A-Are the two of you possibly dati–"

""No.""

"O-Oh, I see", she said, the shock of seeing me in my new get-up still not flushing themselves out of her body as she immediately averted our pointed gazes, "W-Well, y-you were about to get the copy after all, so you might as well take it–"

"No", I said, immediately shutting down any kind of flag that might be forming at the moment. All the boys would kill me in less than a heartbeat if by some miracle I had the chance to do so, "You were reaching for the Persona 4: Golden. I was reaching out for the Gravity Rush."

"I see", Kanzaki said, finally regaining her senses as she hit me with the fakest smile that she had ever given in class, "Then, I'll be taking the copy now, thank you very much."

With a quick swipe of her hand, the Golden copy was now gone from the sales area, and I couldn't help but sigh after Kanzaki left as I took one of the Gravity Rush copies and checked its price. 4, 798 yen. To think that I'd use my money that I saved over three months in order to just buy this game...And it was on sale too. Just how much is this game's actual price?

...You know what, screw it. JoJo's it is then, "Is that really good?"

"No, but beats anything else that might be on this area", I immediately replied in response to Nakamura's query, "The rest of these games are of the average quality, and out of most that I had thoroughly researched last night, only a few titles were enough to get my attention. Sadly, this is the last one that I would be getting, but better to try something new rather than experiencing a risk that could potentially turn out to be a waste of almost 5, 000 yen."

"Oh come on, the potential benefits to taking a risk outweigh the costs–"

"I'm not judging you for your...peculiar taste in games, so leave me alone already", I said with a sigh as Nakamura looked miffed, as if she wanted to say something in return but can't. After all, who was she to talk when she was holding one of the recent Call of Duty games? I would've understood – hell, even _respected_ her if she chose Battlefield, but then again, she chose Call of Duty. Which is the reason why all of these statements are in my head and I'm not flinging them like rapid-fire insults towards the second person who didn't say anything bad about my eyes.

"Ah well, today's a bust, then", I said, gingerly placing the copy of the game disk back towards the pile, "...I guess that we just need to drop by that bookstore and get this over with, huh."

"You say that as if you hate my company", Nakamura said with a slight frown on her face as I simply waved at her dismissively, prompting her to cross her arms and pout at me as she huffed and made her way towards the cashier.

No actually. I don't mind you being here, it's just that I'm in a foul mood since Kanzaki had first gotten that copy of Persona 4: Golden. It means that what I'm going to do for the next weekend is to grind out my dream equipment in Monster Hunter, and anyone who has played the damn game would know the damn pain of getting them.

...Great. Did I just admit that? I just did. Good job common sense, you're supposed to be the epitome of what you're supposed to stand for and what do I get? You could at least say thank you. For what? Flooding my brains with oxytocin so that I can't think straight? I can't hear the 'thank you very much, common sense' in there, you know? You _do_ know that we're currently stuck here in this position because _you_ screwed up and let Nakamura take the flow of the conversation! Yeah, well what are _you_ supposed to do when you get stuck in that kind of situation, huh? Obviously, disengage and spend the rest of lunchtime hanging around in the lot at the back of the classroom, training and stuff.

"Hikigaya, you're spacing out again, aren't you?" Nakamura said with an exasperated sigh as she couldn't help but massage her temples and I'm sorry but I just can't help thinking about stuff when my common sense does _not want to help,_ "Well, we better go to this bookstore that you're talking about. Do you know where it is?"

I nod, "Lead the way. And don't you dare space out while we're walking. You might get hit by a car or walk into a pole, and I am _not_ taking responsibility if you ever suddenly decide to kill yourself. You got that, Hikigaya?"

Once again, I nod, making Nakamura sigh at me in both irritation and relief as the two of us went out of the game shop, my breath catching the moment I stepped outside and breathed in the cold spring air. Well, it wasn't the only reason as to why.

Nakamura held the back of my polo, making me glance towards her in confusion as she simply grinned back, a dangerous glint in her blue eyes, "Insurance that you won't just die on me. Korosensei might blow a fuse if he finds out that you almost killed yourself, after all."

...Like I said, I won't be running into any cars or poles soon, so rest easy.

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 **AN: Well, this chapter was longer than expected. Probably because it's a slice-of-life chapter? Well, more reviews are appreciated, so keep them coming!**

 **Predator7 - The origins of his Self-Defense Training originated from somewhere in this chapter, as long as you can connect the dots. Hell, I think I foreshadowed it from Chapter 1?**

 **Metal Vile - As much of an 'ace' as 8man appears to be, his mental health's not really that holding up strong. Due to the fact that he was incessantly bullied for the rest of his 2nd year in middle school, plus the fact that he had shut himself out for a maximum of about two months, it takes a toll on an ordinary person like 8man. Well, he spent his two months as a shut-in productively in order to mask his darker thoughts, but some way or somehow it's going to be brought to light. Oh, and 8man's the foil for Nakamura in this fic: he's outwardly serious and scathing, but he's more of a playful trickster inside. Plus, he's actually much more innocent (lol) and trusting (lol) than he looks, since he's still not his high school self.**


	4. 4 - Relativity of Strength

**Deadeye**

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Chapter 4 – Relativity of Strength

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Bookstores are the most wonderful place in the universe. They contain troves of information that is normally inaccessible to riajuus everywhere that didn't bother to brush up on current events in the literary world, and more likely than not, one can find a shining diamond in the midst of the trash that I feel like someone would make. It is a place full of literary wonders from all ages, from the past to the present, and searching for that single perfect masterpiece that lays dormant within the incessant piles of trash is the beauty of bookstores themselves.

"So in summary, you really like bookstores", Nakamura said, summing up my thoughts in a single sentence as she shook her head at me and folded her arms across her chest, watching me go through all of the titles in the Fantasy aisle and scrutinizing the spines of the books like a trained artisan, "Hikigaya, finish up within thirty minutes, could you? I'm pretty sure both of our parents won't like it if we stay out longer than eight."

"...You can leave now if you want to, you know", I said, "I live alone anyway, so I should be fine coming home late as long as I don't miss the last train."

"Eh? Hikigaya, you live alone?" Nakamura asked with the slightest tinge of surprise and curiosity in her voice as I simply nodded, pulling out a light novel from the aisle and placing it in the basket that I brought with me. That's seven down, three more to go.

"Karasuma-sensei said that I _did_ transfer in, right?" I replied back with a question as I returned to scanning the shelves, "...Incidentally, I came from Chiba."

Nakamura whistled in response to the information that I had just given her, "Chiba, huh? That's...ridiculously far from Kunugigaoka. Are you sure you didn't make a mistake when you transferred in here? I mean, with the whole thing going on...How are you going to tell your family about this?"

"I'd rather like it if you do not pry into my personal life please, thank you very much", I deadpanned just as I pulled out another book from the stack. Two more to go, then, I see, "And besides, since I'm far away from my parents in the first place, it should be easy to keep what's happening under wraps as long as I don't screw up and let my grades fall off."

"And once again, I see the usual Hikigaya, huh?" Nakamura said with a grin on her face as I got the ninth book that I needed before I needed to go home. And she still hasn't even exited the bookstore yet. I mean, it _is_ already close to eight, you know? Are you sure that your parents are going to be fine with this? I mean, if you already called them earlier and told them that you were hanging out with a classmate and you're going to be late because of that then I wouldn't have mind, but you didn't even reach for your phone.

'What do you mean by the usual Hikigaya?" I asked, tilting my head to the side in confusion as I finally got the last book that I needed, placing it inside the basket as I quickly made my way towards the cashier, seeing a man in a black hoodie currently talking to the cashier, whilst the latter had a pale look on his face as he slowly opened the cash register.

...I stopped, causing Nakamura to stop as well as she looked at me with a questioning expression on her face. Instead of answering her unasked question however, I made her slowly inch back towards the aisle that we had come from. Of course, seeing that I was acting unnaturally focused for my usual self, she stared at the scene that she was looking at...and immediately paled.

The two of us immediately backtracked to a spot between the aisles, wherein the convex mirrors that had been stationed all around the bookstore couldn't see us. I tried to make my presence unnoticeable, but it had the effect of me trying to make sure that Nakamura could focus on me every few seconds.

"H-Hikigaya, was that–"

"A robbery", I immediately answered, trying to ignore the stifled gasp that came out of Nakamura as I looked at the hooded man on the counter with narrowed eyes, trying to keep the panic from rising up inside of me as I couldn't help but cower from where I stood, "...We stay here until that guy leaves."

"Are you kidding me, Hikigaya!?" Nakamura said as she kept her voice low and seethed at me, grasping the back of my polo with strength that you wouldn't expect out of a girl like her. And I'm not being misogynistic, "That guy needs our help! We need to put a stop to it!"

"We can't help if it gets the two of us killed", I said in a low and cold tone as Nakamura kept a gasp from escaping her face, "...There's nothing that we can do for the moment. Sure, we've been taking PE classes, but this is just the third day of the entire semester. You can't just expect us to suddenly gain some sort of superpowers just because we've been training under Karasuma-sensei, you know."

"Still–"

The loud ringing of a gunshot echoed throughout the air as I widened my eyes, my ears ringing in pain due to our close proximity to the user as I immediately tilted my head out of my hiding place, seeing the hooded man with his arm outstretched, a smoking gun held in his right hand, the guy at the counter nowhere to be seen.

I...I didn't know what to do. Is the guy at the counter dead? Is the hooded man guilty of murder or homicide? D-Did I just see a murder take place right here, right now? W-Wait, just what the hell!? JUST WHAT THE HELL DID I SEE!?

"Who's there!?" The hooded man said, his voice now laced with fear as the gun was now pointed towards our direction. I didn't waste any time. My feet moved just as another shot rang throughout the air, forcing me to stop and place my hand over my ears until I found some earphones in one of the aisle racks. I swiped it off, hearing the man's footsteps moving from the counter towards where I had left Nakamura earlier as I had just managed to put the earphones on.

Then, I threw the wrapping towards the direction where I assumed the hooded man was, the slightly muffled sound of the gunshots still ringing in my ears, but they aren't as painful enough that I needed to stop and scream everytime the gun was fired.

That was two rounds off of the man, and I made my mad dash forwards, throwing a nearby book towards the hooded man as another gunshot rang throughout the air, my feet immediately dashing forward at the opportunity as the hooded man stepped back, his grip on the gun that he held shaking as he once again fired, his shaky aim making the bullet miss as it landed quite the ways off from where I was.

An instant later, I was already in another aisle, my eyes recognizing the gun as the same one that we used as pistols in order to try and kill Korosensei. An M1911. While it might hold up to 16 rounds for the airsoft versions that we use, if one were to substitute the size of a bullet into the magazine itself (or search the net, for that matter), it can only hold seven rounds.

One was fired when the hooded man shot at the guy on the counter. Another was fired at both me and Nakamura when one of us (probably me) screwed up and gained the guy's attention. The next two were just used after that scuffle from earlier, which meant that the hooded man only had three rounds left before he was empty, and needed to reload. A potential opening there.

I tried to move, but found my legs stiff, feeling like jelly. As I could only smile in regret due to my body's involuntary actions, the sound of the door opening snapped me back out of my pre-mortality thoughts and made me blink, my eyes darting around the convex mirrors spread out around the bookstore as I once again blinked.

It seemed that the hooded man escaped. I hated to admit it, but the guy had a good head, not risking more bodies to his name and quickly getting out after he got what he needed. That's good. At least there's now a lower amount of risk for me and Nakamura to die here, but still...I had to check to make sure. Nakamura was probably still there in the Fantasy aisle, so I tried to stand up on my own–

–And found myself immediately toppling over, my head hitting the smooth tiled floor...hard.

I yelped in pain, the bonnet that I wore cushioning the blow slightly as I sat up, trying to stand up, but my legs couldn't move. No matter how I try and stand up, I just couldn't seem to do it. As the adrenaline slowly faded away from the recesses of my bloodstream and logic took over instinct, I finally realized the reason why.

I was scared. Scared at that moment when I saw the gun of that hooded man pointed towards my direction, when my subconscious immediately brought out the memories that I had for the last 14 years of my life. I was scared during the time wherein I heard the first sound of gunshot, wherein my blood turned cold and my face turned pale as I peeked from our hiding spot and saw the man at the counter missing. I was scared that Nakamura would be under that guy's fire when he started walking towards us, wherein I had no choice but to get his attention or else the two of us might die.

Was I really strong? I might've been the first one that drew blood (or whatever the yellow octopus has for blood) on Korosensei, and I might've been the first one that first hit Karasuma-sensei, but those were situations wherein there was no risk. I could fire away and I could hack away with no lasting problems whatsoever. Sure, I might've gotten a bit hurt during my spar with Karasuma-sensei, but I knew that I wouldn't die. I knew that he would simply hold back and apply just the right amount of force in order to impair me from fighting or knock me out.

But what about when risks were involved? When we were fighting with our lives on the line? Would I have been that adamant in saving Nagisa when our target wasn't an alien octopus with a speed of Mach 20? Would I have fired against Korosensei if I knew that he would kill us if we miss just even once? Would I have done what I did against Karasuma-sensei if I knew that he was going for the kill?

No. No I wouldn't. Just like the hooded man, I would run away and take my life with me, and ignore others in the process. Would that mean that I was strong? That I was simply taking a 'tactical retreat' in order to fight another day? That it meant throwing away my almost nonexistent pride to make sure that I would be able to breathe, eat, sleep, and live for just another day of my life, where I don't even know if I would die in my sleep?

No. I wasn't strong. I'm just a single plankton thinking that he's a fish just because the other fishes let him be. I was nothing more than an insignificant pebble for them – food, for the others. Here I am, desperately managing to survive, while the fishes simply lounged about, doing whatever they can because they could.

I wanted to be strong. To make sure that no one would ever be able to hurt me, whether physically, emotionally, or mentally. All those hours that I spent simply staring at the wall of my room was enough to make me crazy in order to make myself stronger, but seeing as this strength of mine is nothing but a fake compared to the real thing...

...Would I return to what I was before?

[–|–]

"Hikigaya!" Korosensei said, immediately slamming the door to the questioning room open as I beheld the octopus alien in his human disguise, a badly mismatched parts of some cosmetics here and there, along with some stick-on ears and a nose. It was lucky that his scholarly robes draped most of his body, or the entire police department might be forced to detain him as a suspicious individual...If they hadn't already dragged him (is it a him, though?) there, themselves.

"Is Nakamura fine?" I ask immediately, my fists clenching around the bonnet that she had bought for me as Korosensei blinked, the alien's beady eyes staring at me weirdly (not that I could tell, but I could feel the vibe off of him) before taking a seat in front of me.

"She's fine", the octopus said, making me let out a sigh of relief that I hadn't realize that I was holding as I slouched into the backrest of my chair, "She's still a little bit shocked as to what had happened, but the police has assured me that she'd be making a recovery in one or two days."

"I see..." I said, a thin smile forming on my face as I could feel Korosensei twitch from here. I'm sorry sensei, but you're going to have to be accustomed to my obviously-creepy smiles. I think that if our class is going to do something for some kind of festival, I'd immediately suggest doing the haunted house. I'll play the zombie for free, "...So she's fine..."

"Hikigaya, I understand how you must feel about it, but I'm going to have you ask some questions", Korosensei said as he took up a familiar pose. No, I won't pull the damn dummy plug, alright!? Actually, I'm quitting the job right now before you could kill one of my friends! "...Can you tell me what happened back in that bookstore?"

"..." I stayed silent for a moment, my mind slowly whirring to life as I started to word the phrases that were forming in my head. Forming, arranging, and sculpting them to answer the first being that I had put my trust since coming to Kunugigaoka. Questions flooded through my mind – about details that I'd like sensei to know; about details that I'd rather keep a secret. Slowly, one-by-one, the frequencies of the questions slowly fell into nothing, as my mind finally organized the clutter that was the events from a while back. After a moment of silence, my mouth opened, and I told the entire story.

Korosensei didn't move, but I could see that he was visibly trying to hide the black stain that was slowly spreading across the back of his head. I knew what that expression was all about since Nagisa told me about it after his little debacle with the grenade. It was an expression that he only made in pure rage, when he was absolutely pissed. The first time it happened was due to Terasaka and his gang of two-bit delinquents nearly succeeding in their plan to blow up Nagisa and their not-so-successful plan of blowing up Korosensei with him as well, and now...this was the first time that I had seen Korosensei angry in person.

And I suddenly wished that the octopus in front of me would return to his normal self.

"Sensei", I said, keeping my tone straight-laced and clear as the black-colored octopus immediately perked up and calmed down, his black-colored skin slowly turning back into that same old annoying-as-hell-but-it's-still-much-better-than-seeing-him-pissed yellow.

"...Sorry, Hikigaya...It seems that I let my emotions blind me again..." Korosensei said as he hung his head low and wait did he say that he had emotions? What the hell? So an octopus alien that casually blows up 70% of the moon has _emotions_? T-The irony is so strong that I can't even laugh at it! Just what the hell!? "...Though, I must ask again. Did you try and distract that hooded man from Nakamura?"

I nod, causing Korosensei to nod sagely as he continued, "...And so, can you think of any reason as to why your legs stopped moving after the whole tirade started to end?"

"I..." I stopped, clamping my mouth shut as I couldn't help but grit my teeth and look down. Should I say this? Should I really say this to someone that I had just met for just three days? "...I was scared. Scared witless that I would die right then and there, and when I knew about that, my body...refused to move."

Ah hell, screw everything. I already said it to him. Common sense, why are you not acting up now? I thought I told you that I needed your help when it comes to these kinds of situations! Huh? What? I'm sorry, did someone wake me up from my slumber? Oh...then the main reason why I probably went out with Nakamura was because of you.

"When I suddenly recalled that gun being pointed in my direction, I just couldn't help but freeze..." I choked out, "I-I mean...what if I hadn't thrown a book at the guy in order to distract him? What if the guy wasn't feeling impulsive after he committed his first...m-m-m...I can't say it, but what would happen to me if that gun was pointed at me right that very second? I..."

"...I see", Korosensei said, placing one of his tentacles on my shoulder as I covered my eyes with my arm. Sure, I might be willing to vent out my frustrations to him, but who's to say that I got to show him my tears? The only one who deserves to see them is Komachi, after all, "...Hikigaya, every living thing has his fears."

"No sensei, you don't understand..." I said, my voice coming out angrier than I thought as I tried to rein in my emotions, "...You're strong. Stronger than all of us. Stronger than entire armies. You wouldn't know how I feel, sensei."

I felt the tentacle that he placed on my shoulder withdraw back towards his body, "Hikigaya...I'll be listening."

The mention of my name made me perk up, the arm over my eyes slowly placing themselves back in my pockets as I met the octopus' gaze. Somehow, seeing those beady eyes like that...made me calm down. Made me think. Made the gears in my head turn as Korosensei's unmoving smile was directed towards me.

He was giving me the silent treatment. But I knew that he wasn't doing it in order to mock me. Korosensei was doing this so I could gather my thoughts, and speak out whatever I'm currently feeling right now. Of course, I could just simply let the silence drag on, but then, nothing would happen. I would be simply standing still, while the rest of my classmates simply moved forward without pause.

Now that I had thought about it, I realized where I had went wrong. For the two months that I had shut myself off in my own room, I tried to make myself strong. Stronger than anyone else who would dare try to harm me, and be above all the others that had tried to pull me down to their level and incessantly kick me down until I was nothing more than mush.

But, was that really the strength that I had wanted? A fake veneer of invulnerability that was more fragile than glass? A strength that immediately dissipated into nothingness when someone takes the chance to look deeper? A kind of strength that ultimately subverts its original purpose, and instead makes its user weaker?

"Sensei..." I said, my voice cracking as my vision was clouded by tears, now flowing freely for Korosensei to see. I didn't care anymore. At this point in time, I didn't care for anything anymore. All I wanted to do now was to spill everything that I had taken out into my surroundings, and just kill myself out of regret later. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan, "...Am I strong?"

There, I said it. Laid all my troubles and two months of anguish on the table. My mind was already grinding to a halt, the braking system known as regret making me incapable of making rational decisions as I couldn't help but want to die. Thanks regret. Thanks common sense. That last statement was sarcastic, common sense. I'm not exactly thanking you, but cursing you to die. Why didn't you stop me from telling that little tidbit of information I don't know, but you still deserve to die for it.

"Hikigaya..." Korosensei said, placing on of his tentacles on my shoulder once again as I forced myself to stop crying and wipe the tears out of my eyes, looking at the octopus as much as I can, "...You're strong."

Somehow, I could feel my heart being uplifted by that statement, "But, you're not strong in the sense that you can be quick and fast. You're also not strong in the sense that you can solve problems in the blink of an eye. You're also not strong in the sense that you can immediately glimpse someone's thoughts in the blink of an eye. No – what makes you strong, is the ability to look at yourself, see all your flaws and strengths, and change yourself accordingly towards them. What you lack, is the courage to move forward – to take risks. To just do all away with the information that's clouding your mind and take a step forward, letting your emotions decide what you're going to do."

"But–"

"You don't want to be blinded by your emotions anymore, than I can understand", Korosensei said while he nodded sagely, "...But, it's not only logic that runs the world. There's also emotion in there – somewhere, embedded in the places where you would never expect to find them. I'm not saying that you should always let your emotions lead you, but take note of them as well when you're making your decisions. Not everyone acts in the same way as you expect them to do, after all."

"That's why...Keep on thinking", Korosensei said as he withdrew the tentacle on my shoulder, "Keep on struggling, keep on learning, keep on engorging yourself with information. If that's what makes you who you are, then keep on doing it. You don't have to change Hikigaya – you just need to change your outlook."

I sniffed as Korosensei wiped a tear from my eye, getting a nod out of my sensei as he withdrew his tentacle, "...Mm. A smile suits you better, Hikigaya, but only reserve it for the ones that deserve it the most, alright?"

...Needless to say, that was the main reason why I was smiling at you, sensei.

[–|–]

"I'm home..." I greet as I opened the door to my apartment, where as usual, nobody replied in response to my greeting. However, since I had another guest with me, the walls didn't seem as cold as I had expected.

"Ooh! Your apartment is larger than I had expected!"

"Sensei, I appreciate you escorting me back here just in case, but could you please leave my house now?" I said, shooting a glare in Korosensei's direction as the octopus immediately froze under my gaze, "...Come to think of it sensei, where do you sleep?"

"Hm? Obviously, at the school building itself of course!" Korosensei said with pride in his tone as I couldn't help but look at him with pity in my gaze. Seriously? Here I thought that you had a place to return to every night since you always come in just in time for classes, but who would've thought that he was sleeping in the teacher's office every night?

...This is just sad. This is just too sad, "...Sensei. Stay here for a while. I'll reheat the curry in the fridge, so make yourself at home while doing so aaand you already did."

Halfway into my damn sentence, the damnable octopus had already changed from his usual wear of scholarly robes into a large towel that covered most of his body...even the top half of his head. Seriously, what _is_ it with this octopus!? Is he trying to push my buttons!? "Then I'll take you up on your hospitality, Hikigaya-kun. I'll be using the bath for a while, so just call me when the curry's ready, alright~?"

"Y-Yeah..." I said, my eyes twitching in irritation as he blasted off towards the bath with a small sonic boom and just how the hell did he know the location of the bath in this place? Did he somehow visit here before?

...I'm not even going to ask anymore. I sighed, shaking my head at the sudden turn of events as I made my way towards the refrigerator and opened the damn thing, a simple casserole sitting in the middle of the refrigerator, along with other ingredients that could've been cooked as a simple breakfast. Sadly, the more complicated stuff out there was beyond my reach, and I wasn't able to make them since I was transferred here before my mother could teach me other recipes.

At least my curry is good. Which is all that matters for an aspiring househusband-in-training like me.

As I set the casserole on the stove and slowly reheated the dish, I found myself simply sitting at the sofa, my laptop being awakened from its day-long sleep as I immediately started to work on what I usually did after knowing that we had Korosensei as our assassination target.

Which was to say, training.

I strapped a holster for the BB gun on my right thigh, and placed the knife's sheath along with my belt. In the middle of the apartment was a simple pillow strung up towards the ceiling by rope, and the slight sway of the damn thing was enough to make me focus on it.

Three, two, one...

My eyes narrowed, my right hand immediately reaching towards the holster on my right thigh as I smoothly drew the pistol from its holster, the sights immediately being lined up towards the pillow currently hanging in front of me as I pulled the trigger, hitting the pillow twice in less than a second as I immediately charged forward, the rubber knife immediately leaving its sheath as my left hand held the knife in a reverse grip, my momentum transferring towards the knife as it slashed across half of the pillow. However, my momentum suddenly decreased due to colliding with the pillow, forcing me to roll forward and slam my back into the other sofa.

I grunted in pain, my vision clearing up an instant later as I immediately pointed the gun towards the pillow and fired five more times, trying to pick myself up as I once again tightened my grip on the knife in my left hand, once again charging forward with a quick thrust at the pillow. The rubber knife connected, its rubber blade immediately bending in response as I gritted my teeth and twirled my wrist, pushing the rubber knife deeper into the pillow as I started to twist my hips in order to whirl around the pillow and use my gun to counterattack – "Hikigaya-kun–"

–I stopped, immediately whirling around in the direction of the voice and immediately lined the targets up in my sights, my finger already pressing the trigger as the BB pellet shot out from the air gun– "Ah. It's just you, Korosensei."

Besides...that damn pink gel on him just stopped the damn pellet. Just what the _hell_ is that anyway!? "Hikigaya-kun! Didn't your parents teach you to just suddenly fire a gun at people!?"

"My parents didn't tell me anything about how to react to alien octopuses suddenly getting out of the bath and calling my attention", I deadpanned as I fired another shot towards Korosensei, who immediately dodged and began applying moisturizer cream on my hand. As usual, this octopus is just annoying as hell.

"Now, now, Hikigaya-kun ~ Don't be so rough with that gun of yours~"

I simply stared at Korosensei with a blank look on my face as I slowly narrowed my eyes at him "...I'm filing for sexual harassment right now."

"Aaah!? S-Sorry, H-Hikigaya-kun!" Korosensei said, immediately falling back towards the other side of the apartment as I simply shot at him a few more times until I found the pellet gun empty, "I-I'm sorry, alright!? I-I'll even clean up your messes for you, alright!? Just don't file me for sexual harassment, alright!? I don't want to be chased by police along with the ladies, alright!?"

...I'm going to have to rein in my anger for a bit. Having a guy that can do your labor for you at Mach 20 _is_ incredibly tempting, but then again, the sonic booms would be enough to damage the things that I have in the apartment, so it wouldn't probably do me much good in the long run.

Now that I think about it...Other than being such an annoying pain in everyone's backside, this octopus can't do anything else that well, huh? Well, unless it included the perks of being an octopus, which also meant that he was a prime danger to women's chastity all around the world, due to his physique.

Korosensei...can't you just like turn into something else that does _not_ look like doujinshi fodder? I mean, you do have a disguise and all, but it's flimsy and weak as hell – anyone who's got a good eye on them would immediately tell that you're not a human, sensei.

"Hm?" Korosensei said, his face twitching as he immediately moved towards the casserole in the kitchen and turned the stove off, "That was close, Hikigaya-kun! If we let the curry cook longer, then we would've burnt quite a few portions of the curry!"

I blinked. Was it actually about to burn? I don't think so, really. It needed about five more minutes in order to bring out its full flavor, but I'm fine with just eating curry that tasted a little bit stale.

As I made my way to the dining table, the tableware was already set, with Korosensei hogging most of the leftovers as I couldn't help but shake my head and sigh, taking the seat next to him as I stared at my own plate, which was also amply filled with the curry rice that I had made a few days ago, and I can't help but stare at my cooking with a wry smile on my face.

"Then, thanks for the food."

Korosensei immediately dug in, his ravenous eating making me flinch in return as I couldn't help but move away from him, taking a spoonful of my own cooking into my mouth as its warm taste began spreading through my mouth, a thin smile forming on my face as I slowly began eating my meal with gusto.

Maybe...Just maybe...I could achieve the strength that I wanted, after all – just not in the way that I had expected it.


	5. 5 - Two of a Kind

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 5 – Two of a Kind

* * *

"Hikigaya, are you going out with Nakamura?"

What. What? _What._ Wait, what? Just who the hell said that? Why does the voice sound confident like it's already a done deal? And what do you mean I'm going out with anyone? I pride myself on never getting a mate, you know! Well, it runs completely opposite in the direction of being a househusband which is my future dream job, but that's not the point here!

The point is that someone knew that I went out with Nakamura yesterday! "No. Obviously no. Can you even imagine me with that witch? No. The fact that your imagination cannot comprehend such a concept means that it was never true, and it never had any chance of it occurring in the first place."

"...Why are you denying it so vehemently, Hikigaya?" I blinked, seeing Nagisa giving me a blank stare as I couldn't help but clear my throat and clam myself down. Don't worry me – you've already gotten used to a witch in the form of a woman (Nakamura). I'm sure you can handle this androgynous individual!

"I'm not", I said, taking a pause for a few seconds in order to emphasize my point, "I had some games that I wanted to buy, but I found out that Nakamura had them already, so we swapped games at a store somewhere. I get new games, she gets new games – everyone's happy."

"Why can't you just do that at school then?" Nagisa asked, his eyes narrowing at me in suspicion as I couldn't help but sigh at him.

"You know how Korosensei doesn't want anything suspicious inside our bags", I said, with a few memories of my precious Vita-chan being taken out by that damn octopus and used it to completely delete one of my save files in Monster Hunter while we were having a quiz.

...Now that I think about it, why didn't I kill sensei last night? He was in my apartment and had dropped his guard, and why didn't I kill him when he was obviously touting his obviously-superior position as a teacher and playing with my Vita-chan _right in front of my face?_ "Well, unless it's video games or porn mags, which he uses for the rest of the day before returning them back. Me and Okajima already had enough of his baggage inspection checks, if you ask me."

I cleared my throat, "In any case, that's not the point. Sensei and Karma were staking us out, so it wasn't exactly a date and more of like someone intruding on what was supposed to be nothing more than a quick exchange. Isn't that right, Korosensei?"

The window slammed open, revealing the devil just as a panicked expression immediately went through his face, "H-How did you know that I was stalki– I mean, paying attention to you two yesterday!? And how do you always know whether or not I'm spying on you!?"

"Because you're predictable, Korosensei", I said in a blank tone as I leveled a blank stare at him, "It's easier to predict a gossipmonger and a pervert's movements rather than any ordinary person such as Nagisa over here."

"I-I'm pretty sure you're the only one that can do that, Hikigaya..." Nagisa said whilst scratching his(?) cheek. Oi, I'm still here, you know? What are you doing, acting all cute like that? I might do something that might make me a class pariah at this rate, you know!? So stop doing that! Why are you laughing shyly and averting your gaze from mine!? You're making me question my own sexuality here, dammit!

"Oh, I see you prefer the cute little boy type, Hikigaya~?" Nakamura's cheery voice rang through the air as she started to poke my cheek...much to my ire and the exhilaration of my fellow classmates. Seriously! I want to die! Why are you putting me on the spot like this, Nakamura!? Did I do something to you!? I'm pretty sure I didn't!

"No", I met Nakamura's sly grin with a cold stare of my own, causing her to frown at me and take a step back, folding her arms across her chest as she clicked her tongue at me. Oi, I heard that, woman!

"Hikigaya, you're no fun to play around with..." She said, her face showing that she was slightly miffed by my rebuff as I couldn't help but widen my eyes at her. I swear, this woman is going to be the death of me. Between the incessant teasing and the invasion of privacy that this woman is guilty of, she even has the gall to sexually harass me in front of other people!

"Well, I'll be talking to sensei anyway, so you can go bother Nagisa for all I care", I replied with an even tone in my voice as Nagisa's face paled, whilst Nakamura's sly grin now returned back with full force and _then_ some. Meanwhile, Korosensei froze, knowing exactly what was coming to him as I directed a blank glare towards him.

...I ignored the people who had the gall to shout "NTR" right to my face. I'm going to have to...discipline them later, once I'm done here. NTR's a trash genre, and everyone who claims to like it should burn in the 9th circle of Hell. I meant that, as oxymoronic as it seems.

"Sensei", I said, now turning my attention towards Korosensei as he once again froze by the look that I gave him, which was the equivalent of a burning inferno and the 9th circle of hell slammed together for ultimate suffering, "...Where's my Vita-chan?"

"Ah!? I-I-It's just right here, Hikigaya-kun!" He screamed, immediately pulling out my beloved time-killing device and shoving it towards me, "I-I most definitely didn't take it just because I was so captivated by the games here, alright!? I-I made sure to grind your ultimate gear for you, so don't sue me for stealing your Vita, alright!?"

...I must look like some kind of yakuza boss to all of those who saw me, but I didn't care. In order for Korosensei to get my message, I immediately drew my pistol from my right thigh and emptied the clip. He dodged every single one of them as usual, but his screaming was enough for me to reassure myself that this octopus wouldn't dare such a thing like stealing my Vita-chan ever again.

Sighing in resignation, I holstered my pistol back into the strap on my right thigh, blinking in response to what I saw sticking onto Korosensei's other arm as she glared at me like she was condemning me for trying to hurt the octopus.

She had the textbook foreigner impression of having blond hair and blue eyes, and her melons were larger than Yada's. Overall, given her choice of clothing and how close she stuck towards Korosensei, I could summarize her entire character in one word: bitch.

Little did I know that I was more correct that I had expected.

[–|–]

The new teacher's name was Irina Jelavich. She was supposed to teach us English, but as far as teaching students go, she's the absolute worst at it. Not only did she always make our supposed English class into 'free time' (which I was glad, by the way. More Vita-chan for me), but just like Karma, she was proud of her track record as an assassin, completely confident that she could just steamroll Korosensei with just the snap of her fingers. At least Karma changed after his supposed double-suicide (I think Nagisa saw it?), but her? She's not changing anytime soon.

I guess she earned her nickname Ms. Bitch fair and square, which is quite a plus for her. At _least_ she could do something else rather than look pretty and sit there doing nothing but scroll across her tablet. 'Preparing for the assassination' she said. I don't care, I thought.

And once again, English period was nothing more than just another excuse for free time. Just as I was about to listen to my favorite stream of PreCure music, I was stopped by one of the last people that would ever do something here: the resident devil Karma Akabane, "Hikigaya, can we talk somewhere private?"

"Sure", I said, my mind already getting a hint of his nefarious plan as I stood up with a smirk on my face and followed him out of the room. A few students noticed us, sure, but Ms. Bitch who was currently sitting behind the podium like a queen didn't bother with the common folk. It was always the pride before the fall, after all.

I followed Karma to the back of the satellite campus, the two of us sitting on the stairs that lead to the back lot as silence reigned the air for a few minutes, before the two of us let out a collective sigh, "...That Ms. Bitch is a pain"

"So, what are we going to do? I have an inkling of what you're thinking about, but..." I said, glancing towards Karma who was looking at me with a devilish smile on his face, "...It's your plan. How do we sabotage Ms. Bitch's assassination?"

"Telling Korosensei about the time and date of the assassination would be too pragmatic and boring..." Karma said, "...How about we mess up her assassination by ourselves?"

I held up a hand in order to stop him, "I'm going to stop you right there. I don't want to be involved with any kind of risks whatsoever, so if you're trying to sabotage her assassination, then the best bet is just to tell Korosensei about it. He can choose to believe it or not, and there's no risk for us."

"Well, I had you pegged for a risk-taker, but it turns out that you're just a stick in the mud", Karma said with an audible sigh as he leaned back and stared at me with a blank look on his face, "...So, what are you going to do? Are you going to stop me? Or are you just going to go and tell me off to Korosensei?"

"Neither", I said with a shrug, "I'll just stand back and keep on listening to PreCure whenever English time rolls around. Or do my homework while English is up. There's a lot of things that I can do there, after all. I could even play my Vita-chan without pause. I see absolutely no reason to help you, but I also see absolutely no reason to call you out. Everyone's pissed at her, but I don't want to lose precious free time."

"So you mean to tell me that you have no guts to make a decision", Karma said, his devil-like grin growing bigger as he looked at me with a predatory gaze, "Are you that spineless, Hikigaya?"

I shrug, not taking the bait as I slowly stood up and sent a smirk at Karma's way, "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. From my perspective however, I'm a spineless coward. I only take the shot when I'm sure that there are no risks that could be traced back to me."

"I see. You're a stick in the mud, I'm a risk-taker. Looks like we're going to have a good time in his class, Hikigaya", Karma said, sticking his hand out with a knowing smirk on his face as I shook it once, the strength of my grip, surprising Karma for a second as I immediately let go of both of our hands.

"Then, let's go back to class, then. English period is about to end, after all", I said with a thin smirk on my face as Karma smirked back, the two of us walking side-by-side as we opened the door to the classroom, seeing all of our classmates were currently throwing their sharpeners, erasers, pencils, and the like at Ms. Bitch.

...Just. What. Just...What the hell is going on here? "Ah, it seems that we don't have to intervene after all. It seems that the rest of us already reached past their boiling point and snapped."

"So what you mean to tell me is that we didn't even have to sabotage her assassination attempt...?" I said with a resigned smirk on my face as Karma simply smirked at my expense, patting my shoulder and trying to comfort me. Oi, I see you trying to hold back your laughter, you troll.

"Get out of my way!" Ms. Bitch said, shoving us aside as she passed through in an instant, and for the split-second that I had seen her face, I saw anger and tears written all over her face. A few seconds later, I sighed, glancing towards Karma who simply gave a dismissive smile towards me.

Sure, put me on the spotlight. How nice of you, Karma. I won't forget this, alright? "...Could someone tell us what happened here?"

"Ms. Bitch finally blew a fuse when we chewed her out for not teaching in her classes", Maehara said as I could only sigh in response to his statement, scratching the back of my head as I immediately turned around and tried to get out of the classroom–

–Only to be stopped by Karma's hand on my shoulder, "...Hikigaya, are you seriously doing this? This is a chance that we could finally get rid of that Ms. Bitch, you know."

Once again, I sighed, taking Karma's hand off my shoulder as I stared at him head-on, "...She's still a teacher, Karma. _Our_ teacher."

I didn't wait for his reply – nor did I wait for my other classmates' reply, either. Instead, I immediately ran off towards the staff room, trying to find Ms. Bitch who was still probably in a rage over what had happened earlier.

I found the staff room easily, since the whole satellite campus was small enough so that I can memorize its layout given a few days. Just as I slammed the door open to staff room with my heart pounding against my ribs, I came across the one teacher that I _seriously_ did not want to meet right now, "Oh? Hikigaya-kun! Sixth period is about to start, so go on to the lot behind the school and practice!"

"Korosensei..." I said, panting due to having exhausted all of my stamina in one go and damn I need some kind of stamina training, "...Where's Jelavich-sensei?"

"Hm? I don't know", Korosensei replied as he placed a tentacle under his face, as if he was showing me that he was thinking about something, "...Though, I _did_ see her with Karasuma-sensei earlier, so she's probably doing something else?"

I nodded in response to his statement as I began to walk away from the staff room, but a tentacle stopped me as it placed itself on my shoulder, "Hikigaya. Trust Karasuma-sensei with this, alright?"

Trust. If it were me, such a fragile thing to handle could only be done by yourself. 'Trusting' others in order to do the work that one should be doing is nothing more than empty pride, with one thinking that he is in a higher position to order around another person with low self-esteem and self-consciousness. There is no way that this so-called 'trust' would be able to move a person forward – the only thing that it could do was make a person step back on his quest for something genuine.

But, if it comes from the first person (I don't even know if an octopus counts as a person) that I had 'trusted' here, I might as well go with the definition of 'trust' for all its worth.

I sighed, nodding at Korosensei as I changed my direction and walked towards the direction of the classroom, my gaze meeting the others who were getting out of the classroom whilst wearing their gym clothes, "...Hikigaya, did you find Ms. Bitch?"

I shook my head after a moment of silence, "...Let's just resume PE."

[–|–]

If there was one thing that I had come to like in this class, it was PE. A time wherein I can run wild and train at a higher pace and rate as to what I can do at my apartment. And now, with the introduction of some kind of cross between badminton and volleyball, my drive to improve myself has certainly increased.

...Of course, if only anyone ever shot the ball towards my spot.

I sighed, twirling my knife once as I felt its wooden weight on my palm, trying to gauge its center of gravity as I couldn't help but glance towards my other teammates, who were doing their best to stave off the opposing team's strikes against them.

The other side was just too powerful, I tell you. I mean, who the hell thought it was a good idea to make the other team comprised of Terasaka's gang along with Kataoka? Is the matchmaker trying to make us _lose_ on the first round or something? I mean, there's already a disparity of ten points already, and the other team just needs three more points to win the second set. Since the matches were a best out of three, it was painfully obvious as to who was going to win.

Which is why damn Karma, for all that I care. He was the one that arranged us into groups, after all.

Oh, a wonderful slash by Nagisa! The Koro-ball is sent flying towards the opposite side of the court, wherein it was returned back with extra force by Yoshida! Good job, Kimura! Using your speed to its fullest to counter with an upward thrust! And _oh_ , the Koro-ball flies again towards the other court, wherein it's intercepted by Terasaka, who immediately swings it down to an undefended position – on the other side of our court! The Koro-ball surges onward, already tasting victory as the rest of the other team widens their eyes in realization of their defeat!

...But, since the Koro-ball was heading towards me, I guess I could return it.

My training with that damn pillow paid off. Sure, the Koro-ball was moving at a speed higher than the pillow could ever attain, but at least the pillow told me when to time my strikes so that I wouldn't just look like a damn idiot that was waving around a wooden knife.

I stepped forward, my knife already swinging at a relatively low speed as the middle of the knife collided with the Koro-ball, returning the yellow-colored ball towards the other side of the court. Since I didn't put much effort into my strike, the ball lost most of its speed, and it was just enough to dip over the net, landing on the other side of the court without so much as opposition. With the other team already bordering the outer edge of their court, it was only natural to strike towards their weakest point – which was their front.

"That's a slice! 1 point!" Kayano said in a cheerful tone as she tallied the score, a sigh escaping from my lips as I couldn't help but shake my head at her. Woman, just because you're on Nagisa's side doesn't mean that you get to cheer for him like a six year-old, alright? Somebody's going to misunderstand your relationship some time or another.

...And why are my teammates looking at me as if I had just suddenly appeared? Did you seriously think that I didn't exist? What the hell!? That's sort of rude! I expect some form of apology from all of you guys! Am I really _that_ invisible to you, huh!?

"I'll take care of the defense, so don't hold back", I simply replied in return as Nagisa nodded at me, facing back towards the enemy team as Kimura served, the Koro-ball flying through the air as it landed right on the line separating the inside court from the outside.

"That's a thrust! 3 points!"

Great. Six points left before we could get a tie. Somehow, the closer that we go towards the score of the other team, the larger effort that we have to put in just so we could do it. Is this an asymptote? I'm pretty sure it is. Good job me, you're now reciting math terms like you're a geek. Well, Nakamura made you look like one, so I guess that makes sense.

...About Nakamura. What exactly happened to her? When the police came in a few minutes after the hooded man had left with his (presumable) loot, I didn't see her since then. All I could remember was seeing her catatonic face as the police slowly edged her away out of the store and into a police car. After that...I didn't know.

I most certainly saw her earlier this morning, still wearing the same sly grin on her face as all the other times that I had seen her. I most certainly saw her interacting with other people the same way she used to – pushing all their buttons and getting a laugh out of it like some entitled troll. It was like the incident yesterday night didn't even happen.

But...I'm pretty sure that you can't hide whatever you're feeling inside sooner or later. One will reach a point wherein the metaphorical damn holding their inner feelings and thoughts burst, and they would most likely spill everything out, whether or not the person that they spill it to would like to give a damn or not. If it was Korosensei, I'm sure that he could handle it well, but if it was someone else...

"Hikigaya!"

Huh–

[–|–]

...Ow. _Ow,_ that hurts. Taking a full-powered Koro-ball to the face _hurts._

"Excuse me", a familiar voice said as the door to the clinic slid open, the familiar blonde hair belonging to Nakamura stepping inside the clinic as she nearly doubled over in laughter, pointing a finger towards me and hey isn't that rude! Just because I was spacing out in the middle of an intense match doesn't mean I get to hear laughs from _you_! Damn it! If I knew that it was going to turn out this way, then I wouldn't have to worry about yo– I mean, space out in the middle of the match! Damn it! Damn it all!

"Oi. If you have something to say, then say it right here, right now", I said in a deadpan tone as Nakamura immediately cleared her throat, straightening out the folds in her clothes before taking a deep breath to speak.

"...I don't want to get socked by you out of all people, so I wouldn't say anything."

Damn straight, woman. Looks like you're getting hold of my thinking habits. Also, since I'm pretty sure I said that just now, that means that I'm getting sloppier than I expected. Damn it me, you're supposed to be unreadable! Just why does this witch had to get one up over me again!?

I nodded in response to her statement, trying to keep my cool, "At least you're learning Nakamura. And if you just came here to joke about the current state of my face, then I'm socking you whether you like it or not. Got that?"

"Got it, got it. You already told me the first time, so I got it", Nakamura said, giving me a sly grin as she waved her hand dismissively at me and walked towards the bed that I was currently in, taking a nearby stool and sitting to my left.

A moment of silence passed between us until Nakamura broke the silence, "...So, are the glasses broken?"

"...Scoot over here. I need to sock you twice before I can–"

"Alright, alright, I apologize, alright!? You don't need to look at me with those dead eyes of yours!" Nakamura immediately screamed as she moved her stool away from me, a look of fear briefly coming across her eyes as I couldn't help but grumble at her. Seriously, you see an injured person and the first thing that you ask for them is whether or not the thing that you bought for them was broken or not. What the hell Nakamura. Have some common decency, "...I'm sorry, alright?"

"Fine", I said, drawling out a tired sigh as I leaned back into my pillow, "...So, are you fine?"

"The first thing you ask when you talk to me for the first time is to ask whether I'm fine after _that_ happened. You're pretty selfless for a guy with absolutely no presence whatsoever", Nakamura said, a frown crossing her face as her lips pursed, glaring at me with her blue eyes as I couldn't help but glare at her with a blank look in return, "...Of course I'm not fine. Do you think anyone would be fine just after a day of being exposed to a life-or-death situation? Now that I look at you, I think that _you're_ the one being all casual about all that stuff that had happened yesterday evening. You even tried to get that guy's attention off me by exposing yourself to danger. Are you trying to be a hero, Hikigaya? Because that's how you get yourself killed."

I sighed. Heroic tendencies? That's only for idiots who don't know how to distinguish fantasy from reality. Such noble thoughts like 'sacrificing yourself for another person's sake' is nothing more but to feed one's pride, thinking that they're being a morally upstanding person, even though what they had done in the past can easily label them as scoundrels or miscreants. If such a thing existed and they actually succeed in it, it would just mean that they would be feeding themselves with the fact that they had at least acted in the name of 'good morals' for at least once in their lifetime, which is more than enough to justify all of the questionable decisions that they had made in the past and would make in the future.

People pretending to be heroes sicken me to my core, but she insists that I'm trying to be one? Ha. At least she started to grow a sense of humor, "Like I said before, I've got nothing tied to my life. You? At least twenty classmates and potential family members. A simple logical decision, and it doesn't even take half the brain power that one would normally use when your body is being addled by such things like 'emotions' and the like–"

"There. There it is, Hikigaya. That disgusting sense of self-consciousness you have that makes your eyes deader with everytime that you spout off your philosophy", Nakamura said, her voice immediately turning into an unreadable tone as she gave me a cold, analytical look, as if she was looking at me like a lab rat, "'Logic', you say. 'Obvious', you say. All I see is a boy running away from his problems and trying to not look back on them by trying to delude himself, saying that he was overcame with emotion at the time. How did you become like this, Hikigaya? What happened that you came to have this kind of twisted sense of self? And most important of all..."

"...Why do you have such dead eyes that you normally wouldn't see in an ordinary 3rd-year middle schooler?"

"...I'm currently thinking that the last statement wasn't necessarily needed."

"Don't dodge the question, Hikigaya", Nakamura said, giving me a pointed stare as I couldn't help but flinch under her, "...What happened to you?"

I sighed. I didn't even tell Korosensei all of this embarrassing stuff to his face, but I'm willing to tell Nakamura all of this? I mean wait, just _why_ am I willing to tell the _witch_ out of all people about this? Why am I even _considering_ talking about this? Just because I'm in a completely different place from where I was now doesn't necessarily necessitate the need to just spill out everything that I have inside of me, right? And after all is said and done, why am I even telling this to _her_ in the first place? This witch who trolls people for fun and a daily lifestyle, who can switch between frivolous and serious at the drop of a hat, and who can consistently break down my barriers that I try to put up like it's nothing?

...Probably because we're similar. Switch up one of our facades, and you get the same, irritating people that like to poke fun at others for fun, "...Alright. But I'm only telling this once, so you better listen up. And probably fire a few rounds of your pellet gun at that annoying octopus outside. I don't want _him_ out of all people hearing this."

A few rounds popped out of her BB gun in order to scare out any potential eavesdroppers (mainly Korosensei), and after a full minute of doing so, she stopped and placed her gun back into her schoolbag, her eyes urging me to continue on with whatever I was talking about as I could only sigh in resignation and once again leaned back on my pillow.

"...Alright", I said, a tired sigh escaping from my lips as memories from one year ago started to flood through my mind like a surge of information, "It all started one year ago..."

"...When I confessed to someone named Orimoto Kaori."

* * *

 **AN: Damn my beta. Seriously. He just slept on me, the bastard.**


	6. 6 - An Unexpected Visitor

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 6 – An Unexpected Visitor

* * *

I could only try and knock out Nakamura as I heard her annoying laugh filtering throughout the air of the clinic, but all that I could do against her was a few weak swipes that she evaded easily – while she outright blocked the others. Woman, just because I'm going easy on you doesn't mean that you have to go all-out on me, alright?

"Does it look like I'm joking here?" I snapped at Nakamura as she blinked at me with her blue eyes, a sigh escaping from her lips a second later as she slouched forward, placing a hand on her chin as she absent-mindedly stared at me. It might look like she was trying to annoy me from an outsider's perspective, but I knew that she was listening to me intently. Good.

"...In any case, it all started when I was but a wee 2nd year in middle school–"

"Give me a summary of what happened", Nakamura said as she groaned and facepalmed, "...I have a feeling that I would be stuck here for a long while you go and prattle on about your traumatic experiences, and you sure as hell want to keep it short if you can't help it, so why don't you summarize it in short phrases?"

...She has a point. But damn her anyway. Here I am, resigning myself to explaining each and every single little thing to you like a mentor in all of those shounen anime, but then again, do me wrong again, "Alright, you have a point."

I sighed, trying to regain back the wits that I had lost whilst I was trying to stave off this witch, "...I confessed to that girl, people found out, started bullying me, I tried to do it a little more discreet by sending a love letter, people found out, started reading it in front of the whole class, the bullying once again started with an uproar, and once I had enough I shut myself in my room for two months. Nothing to do but just browse the net, watch anime, movies, and stuff like that, read books and light novels, and everything else in between aside from going to school and taking tests."

"I didn't want to go to school. My parents and sister didn't understand that. Why would you go back to a hellhole every day for the rest of the year when all you do there is be the guy inside the dunk tank? What am I, a masochist?" I said as I scoffed, meeting Nakamura's gaze as I immediately shirked back under her gaze, "...In any case, since I haven't been attending school, my attendance and grades took a drop. My parents realized that I wasn't going to school and shut myself in my room, and they tried to get me out. Well, emphasis on 'tried'. I was so tired and jaded of everything that had happened that I couldn't just give a damn about everything anymore. When that happened, I looked at myself in the mirror in passing, and these already happened."

I lowered my glasses and pointed towards my eyes as I stared at Nakamura, who immediately flinched and grimaced as I nodded once and pushed my glasses back up, "Yeah, people do that all the time when I meet their gaze. Well, more like what my family did when I popped my head out of my room for once and faced them head-on, when I knew that they were trying to starve me out into leaving."

"My patience was wearing thin at them, and I lashed out as much as I could, just to get some kind of catharsis from the pain that I had experienced. I pointed out on their overworking habits, leaving me and my sister all alone in a big house that always seemed so empty. I lashed out at them for not being there when I needed them the most, when they should be offering me comfort and tell of my plight against the other students of my class instead of just sitting around in their cubicles, working overtime. I told them how I was hurt by their apparent indifference, to only notice that I had shut myself in my room when my homeroom teacher contacted them and told me that I wasn't going to school. I already had enough of them staring at me with looks of catatonic shock on their faces, and I slammed the door to my room closed, making sure that both of them heard the sound of the latch clicking in place as loud as possible as I resumed my life of being a shut-in."

"Two months, I stayed there, trying to keep my mind off the deep end by trying to make myself stronger. Who knows how long I would've stayed in my room doing that if my little sister finally broke down and cried."

"Siscon?"

I shrugged, "Who knows? All I know is that Komachi is the only family that I have then and now. Who wouldn't do anything for their family?"

"...In any case, I was snapped out of my trance when I heard my sister cry beyond the door, begging me to go back to earth. It was the moment that finally clinched it for me – if I made my little sister cry because of my actions, then how much of a bastard was I in order to make her cry like that? That moment, I finally got out of my room and tried to face my fears for the first time, trying to hide the fear that she would most likely be scared with what I had become."

"Luckily, she wasn't. She still recognized me as her older brother, though a little bit more crass and selfish than she could've ever imagined. Just by knowing who I was when I finally gathered up the courage to step out of that room...she saved me."

"My parents were next. I apologized to them first, then told them the reason why I had shut myself up in my room in the first place. They sympathized with me, asked me if I want to bring the case towards school, but I shook my head no. I wasn't going to associate myself with anything in the prefecture anymore, so I wanted to escape from Chiba. I didn't know where I should go, just that I needed to go away. My parents knew that, and the letter arrived announcing my dismissal from my school due to me not attending enough classes. We took it better than we should. I was finally released from the hell that was my old school, and I began to study in hopes of finding a school so damn talented that the rest of my classmates might as well screw themselves over when they found out where I was studying now. Three weeks after my dismissal and one week away before the next school year starts, I took the transfer exam to Kunugigaoka."

"Wait, you _took_ the transfer exam?" Nakamura said as she widened her eyes at me, "...What did you get?"

"I _did_ say that I was studying like hell", I deadpanned as I gave Nakamura a thin smirk, realizing that I was going to love her reaction to this little tidbit of information that I'm going to give her, "...I got a perfect score. 100 out of 100."

"Wha–"

"But", I said, holding up a finger as I smiled, the pure shock of me acing the transfer exam still coursing through Nakamura's mind as I simply continued on like nothing happened, "...Since I was technically dismissed from my last school, the administration didn't take it all too-well that such a dropout like me was able to simply ace the transfer exam like it was nothing. That's the reason why I was placed into the E-Class."

I sighed, "...And just when I thought that the rest of my middle-school years wasn't going to be worse...that octopus came in and messed everything up in a way that I would _never_ have expected."

"Which brings us here."

"Which brings us here", I concurred, a few moments of comfortable silence being passed between the two of us as I finally realized what was going on and frowned at Nakamura, "...Hey. You used me venting out my past in order to avoid the topic."

Nakamura stuck her tongue out at me as my eyes twitched. Seriously, I just want to sock this woman to oblivion! "Ah, you just figured it out now?"

"It's useless to try and change the topic now, Nakamura", I calmly pointed out with a sigh as I leaned into my pillow, "...So, what happened to you after the police came?"

Nakamura simple gave me another pointed look for a few moments before she sighed and folded her arms across her chest, "Nothing much. They just told me to tell what happened in there before Korosensei barged in and escorted me back home."

"...You're avoiding the topic again."

"Am I?"

"You are", I said, giving a blank stare in Nakamura's direction as the usual grin on her face faded, and was replaced with a tired sigh and a thin frown. It didn't take a genius to know that she was taking what I said seriously.

"...Fine", she said as she let out a frustrated sigh, "They asked me what had happened. I told them all the best that I could, until the part wherein the gun went off. Originally, I was thinking that the guy at the counter didn't die, but when I glanced towards you, I saw fear in your eyes. Paralyzing fear that made idiots out of both of us and letting us rattle a few books in the aisle that we were in. When the guy was already walking his way towards me, I was searching for a way to defend myself, but you weren't there, already."

"...At first, I thought you ran. I thought you left me to die alone in the hands of a killer that had just nonchalantly murdered another", Nakamura said, her voice cracking up as she managed to keep herself together with a few deep breaths before continuing, "...Then. I heard three more gunshots at the opposite direction of where I was, and it was then I knew...That you bought me some time to escape. That I thought you sacrificed yourself so that I can go back to my house scot-free."

"But when I tried to move, I couldn't. Just thinking about that gunshot made my legs freeze, made me stop thinking rationally as a human being, and the fear – the _fear_ of dying was suddenly right there in front of me, and I _just_ can't push it out of the way and get moving."

I glanced at Nakamura, seeing the witch that I was close enough to have some friendly banter with crying, her usually bright eyes now dull and streaked with tears. She wasn't crying for my decision to distract the hooded guy from her; she wasn't crying because of the guilt that she felt when she realized that she was indirectly responsible for someone dying right in front of her eyes. No, what I saw, was Nakamura crying – _agonizing_ – due to not having enough courage to push the fear of death away from her and make a move.

"Hikigaya...How do you do it? How do you do things that an ordinary middle-schooler can't?"

"The adrenaline helps", I snarked, eliciting a glare from Nakamura as I couldn't help but be spellbound under her gaze, making me sigh and glance away at her, scratching the side of my face that wasn't hit by the Koro-ball earlier, "...And, the reason that I could do such a thing is not as glamorous as you can imagine."

"...I can only do it because I could throw away my life just like that", I said, my earlier conversation with Nagisa once again flowing through my mind as I couldn't help but clench my fists and grit my teeth, "...Remember when I told you about the bullying? I was so convinced that what I had was nothing more than something fake, that I could just replace it with nothingness and no one would care, and I had convinced myself that all I could ever give to everyone...was nothing. I had nothing inside. Right now, some part of me tells you that it's true. There's nothing for me here – there's nothing for me back in Chiba – there's nothing for me in general. If you've been through what I've been through...I'm pretty sure you would've thought the same thing as well."

"That's why I could risk my life. That's why I could risk my life not just for you – but for everyone in the E-Class, with the teachers included. I can only do this because I've got nothing left. I've got nothing left to lose, so a life's just another piece of me that I could just willingly give up at any time", I said, a bitter smile forming its way onto my face as I couldn't help but sigh, "...It's not a good thing to find courage at a situation where it's nothing more than a death sentence. It's not good for anyone involved, but...This is the only thing that I could do. Take the fall for others – being the scapegoat so that I can be the pariah instead of others. Such an existence is only tantamount to Hikigaya Hachiman, and Hikigaya Hachiman is the only one that can do such a thing."

"Hikigaya..."

"I know", I said, a tired sigh escaping from my lips as I shake my head, "But no matter what happens, I'll still do things my way, since it's the only way I know how."

I sighed, leaning into my pillow as silence once again descended upon the clinic, a contented sigh escaping from my chest as I let myself get comfortable in the covers. Less than a month since I was transferred and I already had two visits to the clinic. Just how much more punishment can I take?

"That sounds just like you, Hikigaya", Nakamura said, wiping her eyes with her arm as she stared at me head-on, her blue eyes glinting like the sea in the middle of the sunset as the same old grin was plastered onto her face, "But, if you think that things are going too rough for you, don't hesitate to use me as a shoulder to cry on, alright? I'm pretty sure that a guy like you can use some 'comfort' from time to time."

"I'm not as petty as to be seduced by empty words, witch", I said with a scowl, but the smile on my face said it all, causing Nakamura to laugh at me at my own expense as I couldn't help but sigh and once again lean back onto my pillow.

If I knew that daily trivialities could be so fun, then I had just realized that I had lost a lot of good time just doing nothing inside my own room.

[–|–]

"Alright", I said, taking a deep breath while massaging my temples in order to try and calm down my internally screaming head as I stared at an almost carbon-copy of me packaged in a chibi format. Oh, and also a girl, "...Let's take it from the top again, alright? In steps!"

"Got it!"

"So, it's been at least three weeks since I transferred from Chiba to here."

The energetic little bugger nodded her head at me quickly, jumping on her toes time and time again to keep her bubbling attention in check as I couldn't help but feel envious at her. Just where does she get all that energy? "And so Mom and Dad wanted to check up on me to see how I'm doing."

"Yup!"

"And they sent you here instead of them...why?"

"Because Mom and Dad apparently had something to do in your apartment, Onii-chan." Oh no! You damn bastards – just what are you doing!? Komachi just started her 1st year in middle school and you're indirectly teaching her sex ed!? Hey! Wait! I call inequality! Why didn't I get this kind of treatment from my parents when _I_ was in my first year in middle school!? Just what are my parents thinking!?

"A-Ah, I see..." I said, doing nothing more than to veer the conversation away from the potentially dangerous situation of teaching Komachi something that she was far too young to understand, "...W-Well, we have classes today, so you're just going to have to play around outside until we're done, alright?"

"No! I want to go to classes with Onii-chan!" Komachi, why must you make things harder for me, my little sister!? You know that your Onii-chan can't refuse a request like that!

"...Fine. If you want to stop, then just tell me, alright? You're still a 1st-year after all, so you probably can't understand some things yet, alright?" I said, keeping the enthusiastic smile that I had on me as Komachi eagerly nodded. Ah seriously, this is just so unfair! Why can't my parents split the energy genes to both of us!? Everyone knows that I needed it far more than I should, ever since an _octopus_ out of all things just transferred into our class and suddenly began teaching us!

"Got it!"

...My heart repairs itself. My soul ascends into a higher plane. Komachi's cuteness is the best in the world! And I can still say it out loud without embarrassment, so I still know that it's true!

And so, with her hand in mine, me and my little sister began our quaint little journey towards my classroom. Now that I think about it... "Komachi."

"What is it, Onii-chan?"

Cute, "How did you get up here without breaking a sweat?"

"Ah!" She said, looking like a thunderbolt of inspiration had struck her as she gave me one of the brightest smiles that she ever gave me, "A man with a large forehead and slicked back hair carried me on his shoulders and zoomed me up towards the campus!"

Karasuma-sensei! If anyone else heard about this, they would automatically assume that you're a pedophile! Just why did you simply agree to Komachi's request!? You _do_ know that it's bad for your reputation as an upcoming hot-shot in the Ministry of Defense, right!?

"Oh, Hikigaya-san. Good morning!" Isogai said with a friendly smile and a wave as I nodded at him and waved back, shooting him one of my rarer smiles as he suddenly stepped back in shock. Yeah, I know. Rare to see me smile lately, right?

"Hikigaya, are you sure that you're not gunning for Karma's spot in the Tardiest Student in Sensei's list?" Nakamura said with her usual sly grin as she walked towards us whilst waving at me, "You still have three more days left, to go, but – Geh."

"...What?"

"No, it's nothing, but..." Nakamura said, twirling a lock of her hair before her blue eyes immediately sharpened in an instant, glaring at me with a look that could kill, "...Hikigaya, you could finally die skewered by a hundred and eight spears. Just like what you always wanted."

...What's this unwarranted hostility coming from _her_ , out of all people? If I want to skewer someone to death, it's you! "Hikigaya..."

I blinked, a hand placing itself on my shoulder as I looked towards my right, seeing Nagisa smiling at me and woah wait. Nagisa never smiles. The first time that he smiled was when he was about to kill Korosensei, and wait I just saw a snake coil around me! Help! Help! Help please! I'm going to die at this rate – "Oh? Hikigaya?"

"Ah, it's the good guy who helped me climb the mountain earlier?"

"Good morning, Karasuma-sensei", I replied, the gears immediately falling into place as I turned towards Karasuma-sensei, who was currently staring at me with a thin smirk on his face, probably enjoying my predicament, "Can you please tell the others about my little sister, please?"

"Eh? Little sister?" Came the resounding voices from the rest of the class as I quickly unsheathed my rubber knife and threw it at Okajima before he could do or say anything else. The speed was too fast for Komachi to see it, but everyone inside the classroom saw it and immediately got the message.

"Yes! My name is Hikigaya Komachi, nice to meet all of you! Thank you for taking care of my brother for me!" Komachi said while offering a bow towards the rest of my classmates as they immediately caused an uproar, making me flinch at the sudden onset of the sound as I couldn't help but take one step away from them.

Still, leave it to my sister to capture all their hearts in one go. Yeah, little sisters are the best. They can conquer the world faster than cats and dogs can do in over a hundred fifty years, I tell you.

Which is why, in order to avoid the crossfire, I slowly moved towards Karasuma-sensei's side, "Ne sensei, I'd like to ask a favor, but..."

"You'd like us to keep a watch on her while you're doing classes?"

"No", I replied as I shook my head at him, "Komachi says that she wants to have the same classes as me, so I'd like her to be placed in this class for just a single day, but...I'm feeling that I'm going to be pushing too much work on you–"

"Nonsense, Hikigaya-kun! You need to trust your teachers more, you know!" Great. Where _were_ you in order to explain this mess, you damn octopus? Wait, that's actually bad. Exposing Komachi to this monster who only has eyes for big boobs would only awaken his pedophilic tendencies! This is bad! This is really, seriously bad! It's barely managing the T rating, but there's no way that we can restore the former glory of this story if it reaches M rating– "Oh, Hikigaya-kun's already stuck in his own Reality Marble."

"He's got a point though. Do us a favor and don't appear in front of his sister at all. Got that?" Karasuma-sensei said as he folded his arms across his chest, staring at the octopus until Korosensei got the image and slowly limped away from the classroom with a dejected look on his face. Well, can't blame him. More like, blame his psychology, I guess? That octopus body doesn't really bode well for women of all ages.

"Hikigaya, go and take your seat. Class is about to start", Karasuma-sensei said as I nodded at him, walking towards where my seat should be – and finding Komachi already sitting on it with a sly grin on her face. Now, seeing as she could be so trusting of people she met, there was really only one person responsible for this mess.

...I didn't even need to look at Nakamura to figure out that she was the one that did it, "Komachi, that's my seat, so could you scoot over for a bit? I need to sit down, you know."

"Eh? But Kurahashi said that you would be having PE for your first sub!" Oho. Komachi, already calling my classmates in such an informal tone and sounding like you're on equal footing with them? Scary. My sister is scary. She's going to be one of those women who break men's hearts for fun but can't get any real boyfriends or husbands to dote on. Meanwhile, she'll just stare enviously at me, who's already an accomplished househusband with four doting kids. HAHAHAHAHA! This is the power of the older brother, Komachi! Make sure that you burn it into the back of your memories, because you will never forget this!

I sighed, simply shaking my head at my little sister as Karasuma-sensei ordered us to change our clothes and meet up in the lot behind the satellite campus. It was pretty obvious as to what we're going to do for today: more combat training, "...Komachi."

"Yes?"

"Go with the girls."

"But–"

" _Go._ "

"Tch. You're just a stick in the mud, Onii-chan", Komachi said as she clicked her tongue and got her bag, leaving the room a minute later as the rest of the guys that were still in the room simply looked at me with weird expressions on their faces.

"Hikigaya, are you perhaps a sis-co–"

–And Okajima was once again down for the count – this time, courtesy of being hit in the nuts by a stray BB pellet that I totally didn't fire from the gun that I was currently holding right now. I glanced towards the other guys, seeing them take a step back from me (except for Karma – I already know what's going through his mind) as I coldly gazed over each and every single one of them.

"I'm not. Anyone who agrees to disagree with me, please line up on the blackboard side of the room so that I could shoot your asses with a rifle."

[–|–]

Combat training. Whether it be knife, pistol, or rifle, its only sole purpose is to train the rest of the E-Class in order to become better at picking up and shooting their targets, moving around the battlefield with more dexterity, and learning on how to change and adapt based on the current situation at hand.

In which case, the best game in order to fulfill these objective to the fullest whilst making sure that Komachi doesn't know about the E-Class's secret mission was simply none other than the classic hit Duck Hunt: Live Version, sponsored by the E-Class.

In this game, not only can the hunters shoot the duck until their ammo runs out, but the duck can do so as well, being armed with a rubber knife and a simple BB pistol with seven rounds. The duck wins if he or she can eliminate the hunters or survive for about ten minutes, while the hunters win if even one of them hits the duck on a vital spot. Friendly fire is turned on.

Based from personal experience, let me tell you that being the duck is akin to drawing the shortest straw in the damn pile, which _is_ pretty impossible unless your negative luck affects subatomic reality as well. Luckily (or not), it seems that my unluckiness is also extended towards the subatomic world as well. Applause, "There's the duck! Quickly, shoot him!"

I immediately rolled away from my current position and to the side, my back slamming against another tree as I couldn't help but release a pent-up sigh that I had been holding in for the last two minutes. Alright, this is bad. Based on the movements from my left and from my right, I'm slowly being boxed in by more members. Bad. Climbing up is also bad. That would be just painting myself with a white flag. No, keep prone position, slowly crawl away to hiding spot number 26 and wait for time-out.

...Just in case though, might as well use one of my currently-being-patented Skill in order to even the gap – "Leave it to me, Nakamura-san! Even if it's in the middle of the forest, I can find my brother like this, no problem!"

...Can I surrender?


	7. 7 - Raising Hachiman Points is Hard

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 7 – Raising Hachiman Points is Harder than Expected

* * *

"Onii-chan", Komachi said, my head perking out of my stupor as I blinked, seeing my little sister look at me with a worried expression on her face as I immediately stepped back, trying to recompose myself into something that was at least half-amicable. I'm sorry Komachi that you had to see that side of your Onii-chan, but I'm sure it was your own good! "...Your eyes are getting a little bit livelier lately. Are you enjoying your new school?"

"Hm, that's where you're wrong, my dear imouto", I said, waving around a finger in the air as I tried to think of one of the numerous lecture positions that I learned in order to implant the words that I was going to say into Komachi's head. I don't need to overdo it, else I might get Jazz Hands, and that's just disgusting, even for someone with such low standards like me, "The school and the school system I couldn't care less about. The people however, are what make the new school fun."

"Just because you're placed in a class filled with so many beautiful ladies, doesn't mean that you get to gloat about it in front of me, Onii-chan", Komachi said, giving me a reproachful look as I couldn't help but glance away from her and scratch the back of my head. My silence would've meant that I was guilty of the act, but knowing me for almost 15 years now, Komachi simply took the gesture that I'm thinking of a way to explain things as logically as possible.

Now that I think about it, most of the girls in the E-Class are beauties. Kurahashi, Yada, and Kanzaki are easily straight at the top 3, while the other girls like Okano and Kataoka have their own unique charm as well and my mind is slowly falling into the gutter– No! Stop! Don't let your mind go into the gutter when Komachi's just next to you!

"Now that I think about it...It _is_ true. I'm sorry if I offended you or something like that, Komachi. Please make time to forgive your useless older brother", I said, acknowledging my innocent mistake as I bowed to about waist level and clapped my hands at her, leaving Komachi flustered at my sudden apology as her cowlick swirled around like a helicopter, trying to find a way to defuse the sudden mood in the air.

Luckily for her, our unneeded companion swooped in to save her. Did I say that she was unneeded? Because I'm pretty sure that I meant to say that twice in order to make sure that I properly described her character as 'unneeded', "Eh, so Hikigaya's wrapped around his sister's thumb? I didn't know you were such a sis-con, Hikigaya."

"Leave me alone, Nakamura", I said, a thin smirk forming on my face as I met her sly grin head-on, "Besides, the two of us are 'Hikigaya'. The two of us won't know whether you're talking about me or Komachi, you know?"

"...If you want me to call you by your first name, then you could've chosen a more direct approach in doing so, Hachiman", Woah, not even a shred of embarrassment there. Just how high is your tolerance level for shame, Nakamura-san? "...I doubt that your sister would also mind over there."

"Woah Onii-chan, scoring a girl like that within a month...Looks like you inherited Dad's genes haven't you, Onii-chan?" Komachi said while shooting a sly glance at me as I could only sigh at her in response.

"If said gene pack includes these eyes–" I quickly pulled down my glasses and pointed towards my eyes, "–Then I would be better off if I just chose the custom character creation mode."

"Eh, you mean those eyes were natural?" Nakamura said with a hint of fear in her voice as she immediately took a step away from us – no, it would be more appropriate if I said that she immediately took a step away from _me_ , "...Scary. Hachiman, you're scary as hell. Those eyes are _natural_? I thought that they were the result of you being pushed around by other people!?"

'Pushing around' was an understatement, but nevertheless, it seems that Nakamura was paying attention to my story in order to get its essence, "Do you really think that these eyes would turn _this_ dead even though I was bullied to hell and back?"

"...No."

I nodded in response to her words, which seemed to have accompanied some thought with it given that there was a slight delay before she answered back, "It seems that we have reached another understanding then, Nakamura–"

"Just 'Rio' will do fine", Nakamura said with a sly grin on her face as she inched closer towards me and oi! That's my personal space! I would've already thrown you off the moment you stepped inside if it wasn't for the fact that Komachi was holding onto my other arm right now! "You seem content with me calling you 'Hachiman', after all."

No. I am not content. I would never be content if someone who's just a stranger – alright fine, I'll concede: _acquaintance_ – would suddenly just call me by my first name. I mean, were you there when I celebrated my fifth birthday? Yeah? No. Of course not. Nobody showed up for my fifth birthday. Well, except for some extended members of the family, which only went there as an excuse to pamper Komachi with gifts.

Oh, I'm getting jealous of my little sister again. Damn it Komachi, I can't hate you when you're _this_ cute! "...Fine."

No matter what happens with this witch, I must keep my cool. Everything would be over the moment I snap and start to scold her for everything that she has ever done to me. I have a feeling that she'd just relish my berserk state, and she might get a few more laughs or two when she gets over some things over my head, which I normally would've gotten if I was in my usual cool-and-detached mode.

I blinked, seeing a familiar figure enter one of the game stores around this area as I stopped in place, once again blinking at the store that I just saw as I glanced behind me, seeing nothing more than the usual lazy stroll of people that came through this street during lunchtime, "Onii-chan, what's wrong?"

"...I forgot something at school", I said in the most amount of deadpan that I could say, causing Nakamura to roll her eyes at me while Komachi was muttering about how useless I am as an older brother and hey I heard that! Komachi, what has this witch done to you!? I'll call the exorcist right away, if not for the fact that I needed her to escort you home! "Naka– Rio, can you escort Komachi back to where my apartment is?"

"Huh?"

"Onii-chan, Komachi can handle herself just fine, you don't need Nakamura-sensei to escort me back", Oho. Komachi, was it me, or was it just you called Nakamura your 'sensei'? So that's the reason why you've been so annoying as of late. You've been taking lessons from the witch yourself.

"No can do", I said, shaking my head as I folded my arms across my chest, "This town's getting a bit dangerous lately. A bookstore was just robbed a few weeks ago, you know? You need Rio to escort you back home, alright? Just lead the way for her, and you'll be fine."

Saying so, I put my hand on Komachi's head, "Listen. I'm your older brother alright? It's my job to make sure that you're safe and grow into a fine young woman. That's a ton of Hachiman points, isn't it?"

Komachi stared at me with tears in her eyes, "Onii-chan..."

I'm cool. Holy hell, did I just say that out loud? I'm pretty sure I did. That's a lot of points in my book alright, since I made Komachi out of all people look at me with newfound respect! Wow, just how _rare_ are these types of events!? One in twelve years? _Wow_ that's pretty rare! Good job, me!

"Hachiman, that's just gross", Nakamura said with a disgusted expression on her face as she immediately took a step away from me, covering her chest with her arms, "Acting cool in front of your sister just so you could show off how much you've changed since your old, disgusting self is just too much, isn't it? Now it's just bordering on the realm of sadness and eternal virginity–"

"Alright, you two go now, take care", I said, immediately cutting off Nakamura's words before she could proceed to mock me any further. Seriously? _That's_ how low you're going to stoop? Insulting me in front of Komachi so I could get less Hachiman points than normal? That's just fraud! I need to report to the government immediately and report you for libel, blackmail, and irresponsible handling of human beings! Even someone as low as me has feelings, you know!?

"Ah ~ There goes Onii-chan's tsundere side again..." Komachi said with a nostalgic smile on her face as she shook her head and stared at Nakamura, "Then Nakamura-sensei, let's go shall we?"

"If it's for my pupil, then I will personally go to Hell itself just so I could get some kicks out of Hachiman!" She cackled with laughter as the two girls started to walk towards the direction of my apartment and wait, that last line wasn't just some kind of flag tripping off, is it!? I'm not going to go back to class tomorrow and find that it's a smoldering hellscape with demons running amok while my classmates are frantically trying to survive in this new world, right!?

...Happy thoughts, Hachiman. Happy thoughts. It's just overclocked imagination at work here again.

Seeing that the two troublemakers were already gone, I could only sigh in relief as I quickly glanced around my surroundings, seeing that it was clear out of all prying eyes. Immediately, I made my way towards the game store, methodically searching through all the aisles until I finally found the person that I was looking for. The complete opposite of the kind of people that frequent this place, "Kanzaki-san...just what are you doing here?"

The class beauty turned around at my voice, immediately dropping the copy of Touhou 16 in her hands and wait, this store sells Touhou games!? No! I refuse to accept that this store that panders to everything that is wrong with the otaku community sells these types of masterpieces! And going by that thinking, just what the hell is Kanzaki-san doing here!? I know that you're some kind of closet otaku ever since I saw you back at that other game store, but going here is like admitting yourself that you're the lowest of the low, you know!?

"H-H-H-H-H-H-Hikigaya-san!?" Kanzaki-san said as she immediately started stuttering in front of me. Relax, I'm not a stalker. I think. Probably. But don't stalkers describe people like you follows other people until they trip up and force themselves in a corner and like I told you a while back, I'm just concerned about a fellow classmate going into this kind of store, so I followed her here just in case that she does something that she might regret in the future.

...Why am I convincing myself that I'm correct here again?

Right. I need an excuse, "I was looking for a Touhou 16 around town, but I can't find them. So, here I am, at the last place that I would ever look for games."

"Huh?" Kanzaki-san said as she tilted her head to the side, her amber eyes shining with curiosity as I couldn't help but look away from her. What is this? My Komachi instincts are tingling. She's too innocent for this world, what the hell!? Someone turn down the knob here, or else my heart's going to burst!

I sighed, mostly in part to calm myself down as I glanced behind me and pointed, causing Kanzaki-san to blush at the sight as she immediately glanced away from what she saw. Indeed, this game store was nothing but a game store. Sure, it has the front of what an ordinary game store should look like, but take a step further and look into the wares, and you all find out that they're R-18, filled to the brim with various excesses and fetishes that could make a grown otaku scream in glee and just do a clear-out sale.

...Which made it all the more confusing that this store sells a Touhou game, out of all things, "So, what genres do you like aside from bullet hell and RPGs? I like FPS and Simulation games, but cooperative and multiplayer games aren't really my thing."

I desperately tried to veer the conversation away from the ridiculously large R-18 section of this store, and tried to strike up a conversation using our common interest in games, while picking up the copy of Touhou 16 that she had dropped and giving it to her, "Um...Hikigaya-san...firstly...?"

...I blinked. Yes, indeed. It might a problem for her if someone were to see us like this in this kind of store. Mostly her. Being seen with a guy might cause some gossip to spread, and given that the school is a highly-ordered strata that punishes dissenters severely, it's no wonder that Kanzaki-san doesn't want to be seen like this, "Got it."

I quickly moved towards the aisle next to hers, nodding my head as I looked at the spines of the games that were in the aisle, barely cringing at the names that were written on it as I couldn't help but think that this game store misunderstood 'PG-13' to 'R-16'. As I tried to keep my mind off of the games and trying to listen to the faint voice from the other aisle, I heard Kanzaki-san's voice, "...Thanks."

Just to be sure that people would misunderstand, I took out my phone and placed it against my ear, making others who passed by think that I was talking to someone over the line, "No problem. So, genres?"

"Ah...about the same as you, then?" Kanzaki-san's faint voice came from the other side as I couldn't help but sigh. Looks like the plan is working. No one's bothering us, after all, "But...why don't you like cooperative or multiplayer games?"

"Because I have no one to play them with", I deadpan in the most snarkiest tone that I could muster as I could hear Kanzaki-san cracking up on the other aisle. What? What was funny in that statement? Was it some kind of riajuu inside-joke that I can't get? Then, I don't want any part of that. I am fine being my wholesome loner self, without any kind of outside influence to drag my individuality down!

"...You have a weird sense of humor, Hikigaya-san", the voice from the other side said as I couldn't help but shake my head and sigh. I see, so the reason why I can't get the joke is because of my rotten and isolated disposition, huh? "...Makes sense that you're the only one that's interesting out of the rest of them."

I stopped, raising an eyebrow at the spines of the games in front of me as I blinked. Wait, did I mishear something, or did Kanzaki-san out of all people just called the rest of my classmates uninteresting? "...How?"

"You this line of thinking that's...disgusting, I guess?" I flinched. Wow. Can you please lessen the effects of yours words, madam? My heart's about to break, already. But seriously, thanks for the unabashed words of criticism. I fully thank you for that, "But, it's fresh. You're not like the other guys who just talk to me in order to woo me or something like that. It feels like I can hold an actual conversation with you."

"Plus..." She said, her already-faint voice lowering even further as I couldn't help but strain my ears out in order to hear her voice, "...You didn't even ask me as to why I'm in these kinds of stores."

"`If you want to mumble your thoughts out loud, then you want someone to hear them', I always say", I said, a surprised yelp coming from the other aisle as I couldn't help but snicker at her in response, "And besides, it's bad manners in order to ask a topic that the other party obviously doesn't want to talk about."

"...I see", came the subdued voice on the other side as I sighed in response to her words, "I...must be really desperate for someone to talk to, huh?"

"I'll be stopping you right there, then", I deadpanned in reply as I could hear the soft sound of surprise that came from Kanzaki-san, "I'm a human, not a soundboard. Not someone that you can raise flags with, for all the knowledge that I have thus collected so far."

"Then, would you listen to what I'm about to say next?" Kanzaki-san asked as I couldn't help but sigh, shaking my head at the spines of the games in front of me as I randomly picked one game from out of the bunch, the space between the other two copies beside it being replaced with an amber eye that stared at me with such an unnerving intensity that I took a step back out of instinct, "...I might be venting out on you."

"Why are you so intent on doing this, anyway?" I shot back with a thin frown on my face, "For all intents and purposes, I'm just an outsider looking in – a stranger. Do you think that you can even trust me with whatever you're going to say? If I was in your place, I would most certainly hold it in and scream at a nearby wall later or something."

The amber eyes that belonged to her blazed up, and it was that moment that I knew that I wasn't just facing some ordinary girl – she was a lady of war; one that was normally docile and unassuming, but could most certainly slam you towards the floor and point a naginata's blade at your neck. Someone that has the façade of innocence, but is always prepared to throw all of that away just so she could have a chance of grasping what she seeks.

...I seriously underestimated her. Another side that I couldn't have ever known unless they show it to me themselves – are the rest of the E-Class like this? And here I thought that my eyes could clearly see what secrets a person was hiding inside underneath all that layer of falsity. It seems that I'm being continued to be proven wrong again.

"...Fine. You win", I said, inwardly grumbling at my inherent weakness in women as I could only release a tired sigh, my whole body slumping forward as I feebly met Kanzaki-san's fiery gaze.

"I see. Thank you."

"But", I said, immediately cutting her off before she could say something else as my stomach grumbled just in time as her fiery gaze was broken and her amber eyes stared at me in shock, "...You're paying for lunch, Kanzaki-san."

Her gentle laughter was enough for me to smirk back at her in response.

[–|–]

...Who knew that Saize had a branch in this place? This day is turning just a little bit for the better, "...Can I borrow your bonnet for a bit?"

"Sure", I said, taking off the gray bonnet that had always been on my head ever since Nakamura bought it for me as I gave it towards Kanzaki-san, the latter immediately putting it onto her head as a thin smile graced her lips.

Seriously, she's like a different person while in disguise. I mean, she just looks like your average nerdy girl from one of the numerous junior highs all around the area, you know? Just who the hell learns how to put on a flawless disguise, and what kind of circumstances must one live in order to learn how to do such a thing? Probably, it had something to do with what this woman is about to say next, "I'm sorry, but can I borrow your glasses too, for the meantime?"

"...You do _not_ want to see me without my glasses", I warned Kanzaki-san as she simply brought a hand to her face and smiled at me. Alright, I'll forgive you this time since you're a Yamato Nadeshiko-type, a derivative of the ojou-sama type, "Trust me on this. I'm much scarier without these on."

"I think I can handle that", Kanzaki-san said as I sighed, shaking my head at her as I closed my eyes and removed my glasses, handing it over towards Kanzaki-san before I opened my eyes, directly staring at her as she was momentarily froze at the shock of meeting the full brunt of my gaze head-on, "...I-I see the reason why you don't want to take them off...It's a bit disconcerting, after all..."

Ha. 'Disconcerting' isn't even going to cut it, woman.

"So, can I have my glasses back now?" I said, holding my hand out towards her as Kanzaki-san simply stared at it for a few seconds before giggling and sticking her tongue out at me, not even considering to give my power limiter back towards me.

...She has a childish streak. I can't even believe her, "So Hikigaya-san, care to give the reason why your eyes look exactly like a zombie's?"

"I didn't come here to tell you about my life story", I said as I couldn't help but scowl at Kanzaki-san, "You're the one that dragged me out here and told me that you're going to vent out your frustrations out on me."

"And you're still agreeing to this because...Why again?"

"Because I get free food. Nothing's better than free food", I said, placing a hand on my chin as I stared outside, watching the occasional E-Class student make their way across town with almost nothing better to do. Good thing that one of my Skills was automatically kicking in – the same one that I used on the duck hunt game earlier until Komachi came into play – [Stealth Hikki]. A skill that blocks everyone's perception of me as if I was invisible, and could only be disabled by people that I had spent a lot of time with (like Komachi, which is the reason why I was tracked down and hunted for the duck meat that I contain), or people in very close proximity in front of me, like Kanzaki-san. A valuable skill to have in assassination, but also incredibly useful in its utility.

"So, even if that food is poisoned?" Kanzaki-san asked me with a smile on her face and wait you didn't tell the waiter to spike my food with some kind of chemicals that Okuda-san makes, right!? I mean, they tricked out his head and all, but he _clearly_ said that it was deadly on humans, you know!? What are you thinking, woman!? Are you planning to kill me as soon as you spill the truth about the reason why you frequent game stores!? All of that poisoning for just a simple reason!? Are you stupid? Should we check the neurologist just in case that we missed some sort of mental illness that you somehow got!? "Hikigaya-san, I'm asking you a question here. Don't go spacing out, alright?"

"A-Ah, t-that's right", I said, clearing my throat as I focused my thoughts back onto the topic, seeing Kanzaki-san look at me with a twinkle of childishness in her eyes. Seriously, this woman is going to be the death of me in a completely opposite direction as compared to Nakamura, "...Well, even if that food was poisoned, it's still free food. I won't hate it even if I die, as long as I can't taste the poison."

"...You're seriously weird, Hikigaya-san", Kanzaki-san said with a little chuckle as I couldn't help but sigh and look at me with her amber eyes, "Just because it's free food doesn't mean that you have no choice but to eat it, you know?"

"I know", I said, giving her a blank stare that made her squirm in her spot as I sighed, "...Even I have standards, you know? It's not that I eat something in trash bins with just a snap of my fingers. I'm not a raccoon."

"Besides", I said, clapping my hands as Kanzaki-san perked up and refocused her amber gaze on me, "We're not supposed to be talking about food. We're supposed to be talking about just what the hell made you forcibly abduct me into this nondescript family restaurant, right?"

"...That's right", Kanzaki-san said, her smile now being one out of sadness instead of the glint of childishness that I had seen earlier as I couldn't help but sigh and glance out towards the window, the waiter coming back with our food and was now gingerly placing it by our sides of the table. I didn't dare look at the waiter until I heard his footsteps pattering away against the marble floor, making me sigh in relief as I stared at the food that I had ordered. Teriyaki Hamburger Lunch, some carbonara, and an unlimited refill at the drink bar. Free food is so nice.

"So", Kanzaki-san said, already taking out bits and pieces of her food as she twirled her fork around a particularly cheesy Spaghetti Bolognese, "To start off with our discussion...Hikigaya-san, how is your relationship with your parents?"

...I see where this is going now, "...Not that much, really. Something happened in the past, and I'm still bitter about it. Come to think about it, I still sort of hold some kind of anger towards them for not being there for me when I needed it the most...? Well, it's some form of that, so I guess me and my parents don't get along that well. I don't know what they think, though."

Kanzaki-san nodded, a look on understanding crossing her face as she ate a bite of her pasta, "...To put it simply I guess, it seems that we share the same family situation."

"I could tell the moment you asked me whether I had a good relationship with my parents or not", I said with a disinterested expression on my face as I took a big bite out of my Hamburger steak. Mm, this taste is just what I had missed. Ah, Chiba, how I like to go there on vacation right now~

...Did I just trigger a flag or something? "I...see. It seems that under that entire disgusting exterior, the gap that comes with your brilliant mind is just enough for you to gain some points with me."

I blinked, my eyes meeting Kanzaki-san's amber gaze as I once again saw a hint of childishness before her seemingly 'perfect' exterior. Seriously? Do you seriously think that I'd fall for that, Kanzaki-san? I might've done so if we met earlier, but then again you _did_ say that you thought that the rest of our classmates were uninteresting, so there goes that option out of the window.

"Next joke please."

"Hm? What makes you think that it was a joke?" Ah. This is it, isn't it? We're supposed to be playing a game. 'Supposed to' is the important term, because it means that both players must agree to the game existing in the first place in order to play it. Which is why, the best way in order to avoid playing this game was to pretend that it doesn't exist.

"In any case, you play games in order to escape reality for just a little while before you have to go and face it again", I said with a sigh, ignoring the twitch in Kanzaki-san's amber eyes as I couldn't help but glance outside as I took another bite out of my steak, "...Just like the same thing that you're trying to do right now."

I glanced back towards Kanzaki-san, seeing that a small frowned has already been plastered all over her face, "...Hikigaya-san. Did someone ever tell you that you're too perceptive at times?"

"No."

"Then you might as well embed the next words that I say into your memory, Hikigaya-san", Kanzaki-san said as her frown deepened, pointing her chopsticks towards me– Hey! What did I do wrong this time!? "...Girls don't like boys who are too perceptive."

"I see", I replied off-handedly, "Then, I might as well keep that in mind for anyone out there that's willing to go out with _this_ failure of a man. I just need to act dumb when a girl tells me to act dumb, right?"

I smirked, pointing towards my dead eyes as Kanzaki-san giggled, staring at me with laughter in her eyes before it was suddenly snuffed out and was replaced by melancholy. A change in expression so quick and unnoticeable that one couldn't normally notice it unless you've got my Discerning Ey– Bad Hachiman! You're not supposed to rip things off from their original works!

"Hikigaya-san, another word of advice", Kanzaki-san said as she down her last bite of her pasta and wait, just how much did she eat!? That's scary! "...You might find self-depreciating jokes to be funny for you, but please think of it from another person's perspective. They might think that you're creepy, or disgusting, or both. _Especially_ without your glasses on."

As she said so, Kanzaki-san took off my glasses and gave them back to me, glowering at her all the while as I relished the comfort and weight of my glasses being where they were supposed to be as I sighed in relief, taking another bite out of my steak as I glanced towards Kanzaki-san, seeing her already gone with the money that she was supposed to pay for the two of us directly sitting on the middle of the table.

I blinked, seeing a flash of raven black hair already exiting Saize as I couldn't help but sigh and shake my head, taking another bite out of my steak as I smiled.

Like I said, free food is always nice.

...But give me back my bonnet, damn you.

* * *

 **AN: There. Now Sugino hates me for all I know. Oh, and thanks for my beta for searching Saize's menu. Your research will not be forgotten.**


	8. 8 - A Little Introspection

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 8 – A Little Introspection

* * *

If one is in the infamous E-Class, then one must also know the pains of going to a school assembly. Not only do you have to go down the mountain that separates the satellite campus from the main one – all during lunch break, mind you – and brave all the dangers of the mountain road, but you also have to stand for an hour or two on end just hearing endless ramblings from the people around you who _think_ that they're smart. Now, to quote a famous person whose name I do not commit to memory, 'Most people think that they're smart.'

'Most people think that they're smart.' Just from that statement, one could now see all the wrongs of human society in just that singular, momentous instant of enlightenment at the hands of that dastardly quote.

Which is why, I will _never_ go to these school assemblies. I don't want to walk into that cesspit that was called 'the shining minds of Kunugigaoka' ever again. But, contrary to my philosophy, it seems that the teachers do not share the same sentiment as mine, and therefore I was forced to go on this trip along with the rest of my classmates. Damn it, if only I snuck out before Karasuma-sensei came in...!

"You're looking pretty down there, Hikigaya-san..." Nagisa said as he scratched his cheek at me as I sighed and looked away from him. Goddamn it. I have enough to deal with as it is now, but you just had to add on to the pile due to that action of yours! "...You don't like crowds?"

"I'm barely coping with twenty-six people, and you expect me to handle a thousand...?" I muttered out loud with a pallid expression on my face as I turned back towards Karasuma-sensei, "Sensei, can I go back to the satellite campus?"

Karasuma-sensei raised an eyebrow at me as a thin smile formed on his face, "Hm...Let's see. You can go back towards the campus if you can somehow hit me with a–"

– _Bang,_ "...Of course, leave it to Hikigaya to be quick on the uptake. Don't shoot too many people with that thing, alright? You might hurt someone far too much if you go trigger-happy with that air gun of yours."

"Well, I only reserve it for people who are in real need of it, so you can count on me, Karasuma-sensei", I said with a thin smile on my face as I sheathed my pistol, turning towards the direction of the satellite campus as I gave the rest of my classmates a wave, "Then, see you later guys. Tell me about what happened in the assembly, alright?"

As I started to make my way back towards the old, rickety campus, I could hear the excited cheer of my fellow classmates as they tried to swipe at Karasuma-sensei. Probably, he said that they could also go back to the campus if they could hit him, but seeing as the moment of opportunity passed a long time ago...it's only an impossible climb from here on out. I believe in you, my classmates. Fight on.

A few minutes of walking through the well-worn mountain trail, and my thoughts began to drift towards what I had done so far. If I was being soft on myself, I could say that I had already progressed far more than I could've ever been during...whatever I had done back then, but if I spared no mercy, then that would just mean that I had just taken the first step.

And being the little piece of lowlife that I am, I almost certainly thought that it was just the first step out of many that I needed to take. After all, it only took me two months in a completely isolated environment in order to warp my thinking by _this_ much, and I could only assume that it's going to take me a whole lot of time in order to straighten it back. Not only considering the logical aspects of a solution, but also the effect that it would have on the other party's emotions...truthfully, it's such a breakthrough from my usual train of thought that I had to stop and double over what was I thinking about before I once again resumed walking.

So, I guess a bit of jadedness was gone now, considering that Komachi had told me herself that my eyes were looking a little bit deader than usual. It's kind of a level up from zombie to dead fish, so I guess I get some XP for that. Though, as for what to spend it on...

Maybe mental skills? I needed more time to mull things over as it is, so having less time in order to make a decision is a good perk in of itself. But what about the drawbacks? Being less in touch with other people's feelings is as useful as painting a target on yourself, wherein empathy nowadays is mostly regarded as an extremely valuable commodity in order to ward off against all of the idiotic nonsense that seems to permeate the entire world. So, maybe social skills would work as well.

...No. Being 'social' had never been my sort of thing, even with my current way of thinking. I still avoided conversations and the like as if they were the plague, so obviously trying to put skill points into social skills would be beneficial for the future, but why would I try to do that when I plan on just being a normal househusband? Indeed, to quote a particular guy that I had always held in high regard for being able to pierce through people's façades and come up with bizarre yet jarring conclusions about the things happening around him:

' _If I don't have to do something, I don't do it. I have to do something, then I do it quickly.'_

Truly, a sage that was wiser than he looked. A shining example to follow for the prospective young househusbands of this generation's future.

Then, if putting my skill points into mental and social skills wouldn't work out in a metaphysical sense, what would be the best way to place these skills points so that they can be used for as long as I live? Assassination skills? Fighting skills? They're extremely situational, and you won't be getting much use unless one wants to specialize in _that_ kind of lifestyle, but then again, it also runs contrary with my desire to be nothing more than a peaceful househusband.

...Indeed, it seems that the best way in order to efficiently spend my skill points was to not use them for the meanwhile at all. It might be counterintuitive, but I shall be relying on you, my stat gains from training with Korosensei and Karasuma-sensei. Oh, and Bitch-sensei as well, for the foreign languages and the charisma part.

So, it has been decided that the hundred or so skill points from my previous level-ups shall be simply converted into blank investment, ready to be pulled out at any time should I need it. However, when it comes to flat stats...I might need to spend a quarter of that on wisdom. I have been _severely_ lacking on that stuff lately. Both Nakamura and Kanzaki-san can attest to that.

And regarding those two...well, to keep things short I shall call them my demise. Although, the cause of death is greatly different from the two people involved. Nakamura was a crafty witch – one that schemes, plots, and manipulates in order to get whatever she wants, and most often than not I fall to her tricks. Mostly because of blackmail. If I could just find a way to get rid of her blackmail stash, then I would be able to breathe a little bit easier...

...Which begs the question as to where she gets the blackmail material from. As far as I can garner using my own Skills, Nakamura was horrible at information-gathering operations. That is why I am completely, 100% sure that she has an accomplice in all of this. But, in order to evade my senses, the perpetrator must be able to completely hide their presence, and be able to escape detection even before the target notices the intrusion. A master sleuth, one that can move at– Wait a minute. Wait a _goddamn_ minute.

 _..._

DAMN THAT OCTOPUS!

My feet immediately surged forward as my mind was cleared of idle thoughts, my speed immediately increasing with a simple push of my thought as I sprinted up the mountain at a rate that would normally leave me breathless and dead tired a few weeks ago. The stamina training was doing well, and since we basically had free training during PE itself, it seems that my body was being acclimated to the harsh reality of what were we supposed to be doing here.

"Damn it, I'll teach that damn octopus not to mess with me any longer...Should I burn all of his porn mags in front of him? I know of a few spots in the mountain that he uses to split up his 'goods', but gathering them all up in one pile and burning them all up just in time to see my classmates return from their school assembly would take a long time...If I had another person to help me, then I would be set, but I'm pretty sure that Karasuma-sensei wouldn't be allowing us to score hits on him based on a whim any time soon..."

Therefore, if I needed an accomplice, then it would have to be someone who's not currently at that school assembly as of the moment. One who has the required balls to skip school and be intelligent enough to make sure that the punishment for insubordination was not severe enough–

...I guess it might as well be a good day as any in order to ask for the devil's services.

[–|–]

Clearly, we had underestimated the octopus' porn stash. As me and Karma stood in front of the 'stack' of porn mags that we had gathered from the mountain that they were in, we could only rub our temples in frustration as I let out an exasperated groan. I mean, the damn thing was about the height of the damn school! Just how _much_ did that octopus spend on his monthly porn mags!?

"Karma, let's see if we could find some matches – the general purpose ones", I said with a blank note of anger in my voice, "...We need to burn this heretical pile of stash to the ground as quickly as possible before someone could get the wrong idea."

"Got it", Karma said, simply giving a single wave at me as I nodded back, the red-headed devil immediately sprinting back towards the classroom as I couldn't help but sigh at the massive amount of stash that the octopus himself had collected on this mountain.

Seriously, this is too much. I'm pretty sure that Komachi and my parents have already found my stash while they were cleaning up my room, but then again they didn't talk to me about it. It was just like another part of being a teenage boy – sooner or later one's going to have a libido and be interested in acts of copulation, so it shouldn't be a shock to them that they pulled out five magazines and arranged them on my desk when I went home after finalizing my dismissal from the middle school that I was in.

Though, like I said a bit earlier, that was my 'physical' stash. In actuality, most of my stash is hidden inconspicuously in plain sight, being that no one would ever suspect such an innocent thing to hold something that was as vile and corrupt as pornography itself. Indeed, most of my _actual_ stash is stockpiled in my Vita-chan, my one and only true companion that had accomplished all the trials of fire with me; my friend that had been through the same fires of tempering as me. Indeed, it is the only thing I have that I could place my absolute trust on in order to store all of my pornography. Indeed, it is also the reason why I only play games using separate disks, and not simply play from the storage of my Vita-chan! Truly, it is an ingenious plan, one that could never hope to– wait.

...Was that the reason why Korosensei didn't mistake my Vita-chan's scent for any other decoy that I had set into my bag? Was it the reason why that yellow octopus was literally jumping for joy whenever he got ahold of my Vita-chan? Was that the reason why he absolutely refused to let it go until I was finally annoyed enough to fire a full clip from my BB gun at him?

Unforgiveable. Korosensei, I might as well plan on using this huge campfire as personal revenge in order to send a message for you – a restraining order that works up to five hundred meters away from my Vita-chan.

Hehehehe...Looks like I'm going to enjoy this little bit of fun for more worth that I had expected, "Hikigaya, you look like the personification of evil itself, so could you stop that creepy grin on your face? It's even creeping me out."

"Sorry", I said as I shot a wry smile of apology in Karma's direction, "But, seeing just how big this pile is I couldn't help but just...try and burn it down to the ground."

And thus, the next minutes were spent trying to get the damn thing on fire. Good thing for me, I had actually spent time out camping with my family before the days that I had shut myself out in my room, and with this I knew the basics of how to start a campfire. After shaving off some thin strips of paper from one of the magazines and making some tinder to fuel the fledgling matchstick, I could only watch in dark glee as the fire slowly spread from just being a single matchstick to a blazing inferno that seemed to destroy everything in its path. Though, it was still confined within the earthly realms of the dry lot, and I doubt that it would be able to spread towards the grass.

Noticing the old embers of my reflection slowly being reflected away in the flecks of flame that spread out from the main blaze, I could only sigh and hang my head low at my past actions. Seriously me, it _was_ an inspired idea to keep all your 'materials' inside Vita-chan, but what does he feel about it? Would he feel good, knowing that he was able to help a friend out? Or be disgusted due to simply being used as a repository and seeing no use for anything else? Vita-chan may be a machine, but he still deserves the respect and care that a game console deserves, even if he is an unpopular pick with others nowadays due to low compatibility with other games in the main series of consoles, and due to its wonky controls.

But nevertheless, I had still bought Vita-chan from the shelf. Vita-chan, who was now thinking that he was a useless pile of electronics that was soon to be scrapped away and be taken apart to be used as components for his other, more superior cousins, had been saved by my wide and shining eyes back then – my insistence in getting my parents to get my very own PS Vita was enough to bring Vita-chan from the edge of despair and finally see a shining light at the end of the long, dark tunnel that was his existence.

And yet, what had I done with that trust? Immediately tossed it away in order to cater towards my more carnal desires, only using it now and then to vent my libido down to manageable levels, and rarely used it in order to play games that I had grown to hate instead of like over time. Vita-chan felt like the singular light of hope that he had was extinguished at an instant, crushed in the grip of my cold dark hands, and once again, I felt that I had made a mistake that was too late to revert back.

...However, people change. Their mindsets change. Over time, their body, their mind, their soul, changes in order to adapt towards their surroundings. I had changed because I was a horny little kid back who couldn't wait to get his hands on new 'material'. I had changed because of my carnal instincts that I had felt when I had awoken to the rough and turbulent stage known as 'puberty'. Even though my mindset has changed for the worse...it could still be changed. For the better, or for worse. It was a risk – a risk that before, I was unable to take, but now...I could. Thanks to the people around me who actually bothered to place their time and trust in me, in hopes of becoming a better person in exchange.

A give-and-take relationship. A familiar sort of relationship that I am eager to engage in, since I could weigh both sides of the coin with my eye, and come up with the best possible solution to the problem. At least, I had already started to shy away from the whole 'put myself up as a scapegoat' shtick, but then again, something so embedded in my psyche was difficult to change.

A give and take relationship. I had taken Vita-chan's trust in me and replaced it with nothing more than the fetishes that I had gathered up over the years, but now...I was ready to give. I don't care whether or not it was returned with something more malicious – that was my fault; _my_ responsibility for treating Vita-chan like an object of storage, when he was supposed to be a game console. I would just accept my fate when Vita-chan retaliates with a higher rate of B.S. than normal, and I would be perfectly fine with that.

Which is why, I am sorry. I am sorry for everything that I had done to you, and everything that I would ever do to you. This is my retribution for my actions – this is the price that I have to pay to regain your trust. If sacrifices like this are not enough for you, Vita-chan...then so be it. I'm willing to accept any form of punishment for my transgression.

Which is why...I'm going to delete all of the 'content' that I currently have on you right now.

I sighed, a thin wistful smile forming on my face as I went towards the folders that I had named to be as inconspicuous as possible and began to delete them one-by-one. As I saw the progress of my deletions, I could only shake my head in passing nostalgia as I brought my gaze towards the blazing pile of 'material' that Korosensei had personally gathered for himself.

...It is incredibly weird to reflect on your inner thoughts just because of pornography, and yet...Yeah, I couldn't say anything else. It just feels incredibly weird, and following right after that is an enormous amount of disgust. Who the hell reflects on their own life choices by pornography nowadays? It's a given that I'm a hypocrite, but I'm still worried about the others who might be potentially sucked into this self-serving spiral of doom, alright!?

Which is why! It is personally satisfying to see that damn octopus finally be taken down a peg and be forced to watch as all of his 'material' was burned with impunity as the rest of his co-workers and his students are forced to watch everything that's happening!

[–|–]

...Why. Why are we in this kind of situation, "Karma...why are we weeding the main campus's flowerbeds again?"

"Gee, I don't know", the red-headed devil beside me said in a drawled out tone as he shot me a smirk, pulling out another handful of weeds and tossing it towards the wheelbarrow that we had brought along with our laborious task, "We skipped the school assembly, so we're getting punished for it. That's pretty much cut and dried."

"Well that's a relief", I said, a relieved sigh escaping out of my lips as I slumped forward with a thin smile on my face, catching the curious glint in Karma's eyes as I blinked at him in return, "...What? We didn't get chewed out for burning that octopus' porn stash, so I guess that's less punishment for both of us."

"You _do_ know that burning that pile of trash was enough to elevate us to a position of local legends, right?" Karma said with a grin on his face, "Imagine the headlines: 'Two middle-school students from Kunugigaoka Junior High School are reported to have started a wild campfire due to burning a sizeable amount of pornographic magazines!' Just think of the fame _that_ would bring!"

"...Yeah...In the anti-hero sort of way", I said in a deadpan as I smirked and shook my head, pulling out another handful of weeds from the flowerbed as I sighed in relief and wiped the sweat from my forehead, "So, this is the fifth one that we had to weed out so far. How many flowerbeds are left?"

"About...two more, I guess?" Karma said as he put on a thoughtful expression for once, "Since the three other flowerbeds are already blooming, it's just going to be another pain in the administration's asses if we were to destroy them whilst doing our 'punishment'."

That makes sense...logically. Oh well, that just means that there's only two more flowerbeds left to go before we're finally free from our trouble. But then again...why am I feeling disappointed? Is it due to my househusband instincts suddenly telling me that I find gardening to be a fun and entertaining task that helps me let my mind wander and reduces my stress while at the same time being a constructive activity that seems to make one's surroundings brighter?

Househusband instincts are scary. But! I had resigned myself into this kind of job in the future, so there would be no turning back _this_ far into the damn game!

I blinked, seeing a mop of familiar blue hair coming out of the gym from where the school assembly that the rest of our classmates had gone from as I stopped whatever I was doing, dusting off my gloved hands as I narrowed my eyes at him, seeing him just succeed into getting a canned coffee as he was soon approached by a few people from the main campus.

...This pattern is causing me some rather livid flashbacks that I'd rather not delve into right now. I take a step forward, planning on stopping those two idiots from doing anything, until I felt Karma's hand grip my shoulder, "Easy there, Hikigaya. Don't want to be pulled down to the same level as I am just because of two measly punks, right? With the amount of training that we're getting due to Karasuma-sensei, there's no way that Nagisa would lose to those failures of a gangster right now."

'Right now', you say. Then that meant that before Nagisa reached his third-year, he was constantly harassed by those bastards with no way of fighting back? Then, it makes sense that we needed to–

...What was that?

I froze, looking towards Nagisa, who was being held up by the collar by one of the punks. But, given that my blood had frozen due to whatever Nagisa had done just now, it would seem that the winner of this scuffle was already decided.

I narrowed my eyes further, seeing Nagisa's eyes and smirk as he looked upon the two of them like mere bugs, the punks immediately dropping him and taking a step away as Nagisa took a step forward towards them – towards the gate that led up towards the mountain that housed the satellite campus of the E-Class.

...He wasn't just giving some kind of ordinary glare. This was the kind that held intent to harm – an intent to kill. This wasn't just some kind of glare that promised a few broken bones and bruises at the end of it all – it was a glare that promised a swift death to all those who opposed his owner.

This was bloodlust. The type that the likes of psychopaths like Karma exuded. Just what the hell was _Nagisa_ out of all people doing, having that kind of look on his face?

I didn't know. I didn't _want_ to know. Just what kind of thoughts and emotions ran beneath the blue-haired boy's(?) mask in order for him(?) to immediately switch his masks at the drop of a hat? For all the times wherein he socialized with others, keeping up that friendly vibe and banter along with his smiling face, was it actually just another mask of his? Was the rest of the class nothing more than just useable tools with potential that he could manipulate on a whim? Was _I_ part of that?

...I didn't know whether or not I should try and find out Nagisa's answer to that question. But, all I know is that I've been looking at him with the wrong eye. At first, I thought him to be some friendly guy(?) that seemed withdrawn from other people, but seeing him like this...

...Just who _is_ Shiota Nagisa?

* * *

 **AN: Sorry. Due to schoolwork, I wasn't able to update this chapter as quickly as I did the last chapters. But, as long as I can get through this rough patch of the incessant hounds known as 'schoolwork', then I might be able to update at my usual speed.**


	9. 9 - Coal-Encrusted Diamond

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 9 – Coal-Encrusted Diamond

* * *

"And thus...!" Korosensei said, his clones all speaking in the same damn _annoying_ tone all at once as they crossed their two main tentacles over their chests, "...We shall be excusing this period for today's special: the special supersonic exam cram class!"

...I could only sink lower into my seat as I hugged my bag closer towards me, trying not to listen to the octopus as a clone of himself appeared in front of me, "...Please spare me, sensei. You already know how much I study back at my apartment, so please spare me with...whatever you're planning on doing please."

"No can do, Hikigaya-kun!" The clone in front of me chastised as he held up a tentacle in a lecture pose, "One must continuously sharpen one's blade in order to reach its sharpest edge, you know? Therefore, one must study every day in order to–!"

"Sensei, sharpen a blade too much and it's more harmful to the blade itself rather than its enemies", I said with a yawn as I pointed towards my eyes, wherein my glasses couldn't even hide the bags underneath them, "I'm _this_ close to grinding away the spine of my blade sensei, and _anyone_ knows that the blade is at its most brittle state when a crack runs across its spine."

"...Fine, Hikigaya", the Koro-clone said with a resigned sigh, "...How about I leave you some written pointers behind and you study them at home? You seem most comfortable at studying there instead of here at school, so it would be best if I were to tailor your studies while you're at home. How about I pay you a visit every time you go home?"

"No thanks", I said with another yawn, "...Just the pointers will do fine sensei, so thanks. I really appreciate your help."

"I would've appreciated the thanks, if only you weren't so adamant on sleeping in the middle of class, Hikigaya-kun..." My Koro-clone said while scratching its head, baffled at my current state, giving him a few precious moments of indecision as his head was immediately warped inwards, courtesy of Karma innocently taking a potshot at him using a knife as I couldn't help but smirk at him. That's a good idea, going for an assassination while the octopus' attention is focused on the rest of the whole class.

"Hikigaya!" Korosensei screamed at me as he held up a yellow stub that was once his arm, "Don't be shooting through my clones now! It takes energy to regrow them back, and now look!"

... "Indeed! That's a child clone now! This is the reason why I forbid you to exercise assassination attempts while we're in cram sessions! Got that Hikigaya, Karma!?"

""Loud and clear sensei"", the two of us echoed as Karma put his knife away and I stowed away my BB gun back towards my schoolbag. I sighed, reading the written pointers in front of me that was mostly about trying to make the most amount of time out of all the items in the test, and not immediately grinding to a halt whenever a hard question comes up. Sure, it was exam-taking 101, but under the intense pressure of the competition here in Kunugigaoka, most people are going to forget that information...Unless they cram it in as well. Seriously, idiot-minded buffoons.

Cramming's not the only thing that's relevant when it comes to studying. Why does everyone forget that nowadays? It's just...weird.

And so, stashing away the pointers that Korosensei had written for me, I could only hug my bag closer towards me as I pretended to sleep, my eyes looking like they were glazed as if I was in the middle of spacing out, but I was actually wide-awake the entire time. Another one of the Skills that I'm going to have to level grind until it reaches its maximum here.

I observed the rest of my classmates, seeing them being beset by a clone with a headband tied around their heads, their worst subject being written on there as I took a quick survey around the classroom. Most of the student's grievances were about Math, English, and Social Studies, but what the hell is a Naruto headband doing on Terasaka's Koro-clone? Is he supposed to be studying about ninjutsu and the like?

...I think I'm missing the point here.

Nevertheless, since I now knew where most of my class' weaknesses lie, I could now move on and observe my other classmates, trying my best to keep myself from deadpanning the singular clone that was just idly resting outside. Sure, I had seen such a sight before, but come on. Seriously? If one out of twenty-eight clones is resting, then that means that the other twenty-seven clones must be using up energy. It's not an amount that a singular clone can restore on its own. Which is why, this system was horribly inefficient. Well, I do think that having a singular clone to work on a student's main weakness is cool and all, but what about the amount of energy that Korosensei uses in order to do so? Isn't it too much?

My not-so-dead-anymore eyes scanned over the few people that I could call my acquaintances, and found out that both Nagisa and Nakamura were currently having problems with Math. Seriously? Math's a problem subject for me too! Well, it is until I get the underlying theory behind the steps, but still! It's still a weakness! Math is my weakest subject! Which is why, I'm glad that I have good taste in choosing my acquaintances!

Hm? Someone said that Kanzaki-san is also an acquaintance of mine? That's complete and utter nonsense. I mean, she just used me as a soundboard for all I care (actually I _did_ care because there was free food), and we never even spoke to each other inside the classroom. Someone who does not associate with me on a daily basis would not be called an acquaintance.

Then, what about Karma? Of course, being smart as hell, the headband of the Koro-clone was showing nothing. That means all hands down on all subjects, but I think Korosensei was teaching him future topics that could potentially come up in the future. Also, since he's good at Math, then I might as well call in for one of his 'favors' and let him teach me about it. Since it only required Vita-chan to be lent out towards him for a day as the price for one of his 'favors', it _was_ pretty cheap considering what he asks of other people (Nagisa taking the cake. Cross-dressing? What the hell?).

...Hey. I just realized that Korosensei isn't teaching me any future topics that I might need in order to make this academic half of this school easier. Was it because he thinks that I'm sleeping? Was it because that he thinks that I'm not worth the time? Nonsense! I must do everything that I needed to do here and now so I could lounge around and mooch off later!

"Sensei!" I said, immediately perking up in response to a Koro-clone immediately appearing in front of me, a thin smile forming on my face as I reminded myself that I could just lounge around and mooch off my own apartment, "...Can you teach me, please?"

"Hoho, it seems that my overwhelming cram session studies are extremely useful to you as well, Hikigaya-kun?" The Koro-clone said as those irritating green stripes now formed on his head, "Maybe along the way I could just 'convince' you to stop assassinating me all the time–"

 _Bang,_ "Sensei. I'm grateful for your current help, but don't think for a single second that you can 'convince' me to just shy away from that ten billion yen."

Well...not that I really needed it though. But still, to keep this octopus from getting any weird ideas, I unloaded a full clip of my BB gun towards him. A few rounds into the mix, Karma joined in as well, and before I knew it, all of us were already firing at the yellow octopus, who had ditched all of his teaching materials (neatly) onto the podium as he now began dodging all of our bullets without pause.

To be honest, the action was kind of cathartic.

[–|–]

"Hey Hachiman!" Nakamura suddenly exclaimed behind me, hitting me on the shoulder with her schoolbag as I recoiled forwards and gave her a glare. What the hell woman!? Don't just suddenly call my attention by suddenly slamming a large, blunt object against me! If I didn't know any better I might've thought that I was being murdered! "Want to hit up the arcade later?"

"No thanks", I said, waving my hand at her dismissively as I could see her pout. Nice try, but you're not Komachi. Only Komachi can get me to do whatever she wants with that pout of hers, but not you, "Besides, I'm planning to spend the rest of the day just lazing around in my apartment, so I might as well just do that."

"Ever the lazy bum as ever, Hachiman", Nakamura said with a frown on her face as she folded her arms across her chest, "...Which is why I _still_ don't get it as to how your grades are top-notch material. I mean, one wouldn't even _believe_ that you're acing all the exams left and right, you know? Seeing that you're like that one guy who likes to sleep instead of paying attention in class."

"A magician never reveals his secrets. That's pretty basic knowledge", I said with a smug smile on my face as Nakamura grimaced at me. Right, right – keep the smirk down, "But, if you were to become my apprentice, then I might be able to share a few things with you."

"Oho? The great Hikigaya Hachiman finally realizes his folly and aims to associate with his fellow human beings in order to teach someone? Sounds sketchy."

"Buzz off", I quickly snapped at Nakamura as she couldn't help but laugh at me, much to my chagrin, "If you want me to teach you a thing or two, then do it when I'm going to be doing nothing for the rest of the day. Just...don't bother me when I'm planning on activating my Zen mode, alright?"

"Then, can I come to your house during the weekend?"

...What. Wait, I'm pretty sure I dropped my phone, so I have to pick it up while trying to calm myself down, but _what?_ "Rio...Just what the hell are you trying to do when I just came back from a good rest?"

"Well, you're basically free on Saturday, right? And I'm pretty sure that you don't do anything else aside from just lounge around doing nothing, right?" Woman, just because I'm just lounging around doing nothing at my apartment doesn't mean I'm actually doing anything, alright? That you know that I might have just gone through with another one of my training regimen and I'm taking a well-deserved rest, alright? "That's why I'm going to drag you out from your loner cave and force you to talk to someone – at least _anyone_ – even during the weekends."

"I'm pretty sure we have phones for that."

"Then how could I see the dumb faces that you make whenever I tease you about something?" Nakamura said with a smirk on her face as I couldn't help but glare at her under my glasses. Seriously? _That's_ the only reason as to why you're going out of your way in order to socialize with me? Because I'm just a source of entertainment for you? What am I, a circus animal? No, I'm pretty sure that I'm a human that comes by the name of Hikigaya Hachiman. There is _no_ way in hell that I would be willing to just entertain you for one day, no matter how fun for you it seemingly is.

"...Now that I think about it, you're pretty stupid, aren't you?"

"Ow", I immediately said, my head immediately bucking forward as Nakamura hit me again with her schoolbag, "Seriously, stop it. The fact that you're hitting me over the truth means that you acknowledge it as fact. Which is why you're resorting to physical measures such as this since you still think like a child– ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"Hachiman, now that I think about it, you're also pretty stupid yourself", Nakamura said as she dug into my foot with her heel. Damn it woman, let me get up from my seat so I could sock you in the face! This is what you'd call an unfair fight, you know!? Give me a fair chance and I have a feeling that I could sock you before you can even blink! "You don't call someone 'stupid' while they're literally in front of you, alright?"

"Better than being talked about behind your back, Rio", I shot back with a scowl as Nakamura narrowed her blue eyes at me, the usual glint in her eyes turning into sharp blades that tried to dissect my thoughts and lay them bare for the whole world to see.

"Fine, you win this time. But in return, let's have that study session at your place at Saturday. Got that?" She said, keeping her voice cool and even as I couldn't help but furrow my brows at her. Woman, stop saying these statements like it's already a done deal. I still have the right to refuse as a human being, you know. Even if you tighten your grip on my shoulder like a vice, I'm still going to have to refuse your request, you kno– ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow–

"Alright, alright!" I screamed, a sigh of relief simultaneously escaping from me as Nakamura let go of my shoulder. Damn it, I call bullying! That was just coercion just now! Korosensei, I thought you'd be there for me if I was getting bullied!? Were all those things you said to me back then just a lie!? "I'll be waiting for you on Saturday! Just leave me alone for the moment, alright!?"

"Sure!" Nakamura said, shooting me her signature grin as she patted my head before leaving the classroom, "But, don't lock me out, alright? I _might_ have to bash the door in if you do."

Tch. This woman knows how my mind works all too well. Not that I'm happy about it mind you – I like being privy to my own thoughts, thank you very much. Which begs the reason as to how this woman could so easily predict what actions I'm going to take in the future. I mean, is she an esper or something like that? I don't know, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to find out.

I sigh, gathering up my things and placing it inside my bag as I slowly stood up, my movements reminiscent like a sloth as I waltzed towards the door, my face looking like he didn't want to move anywhere for that moment. I mean, it _is_ pretty true. I seriously don't want to move from my seat since it's already warmed up with my butt sitting on it for like what, four – five hours? So yeah, since it now acts like a kotatsu after the right amount of exposure time, I'm pretty sure that the cold winds that's currently whipping across the city is going to sting. Not physically per se, but...wait; nerves are _technically_ physical aspects of my body. Damn, I just cornered myself into a corner like that. Wow me, just how stupid are you in order for you to corner your own damn self with your own line of thinking? I don't know... _pretty_ stupid, maybe? I appreciate the sarcasm common sense, it seems that the silent treatment is working all too well for you.

"Then, good luck in your exams", a dry, cold voice said as I immediately froze in my tracks, seeing that familiar purple suit belonging to the principal of this institution as my feet instinctively took a step forward, catching Nagisa currently standing beside the doorway towards the teacher's office as the gears in my head immediately started working into overdrive.

Alright, let's put things into perspective. The principal had probably just come out of the teacher's office and noticed Nagisa spying on something – Korosensei, I presume – and was immediately on his way. Seeing that I didn't see any of our teachers on the way here even on the back lot, it would mean that the rest of them were currently gathered in the faculty room right now. Which means that Korosensei is there, and judging that the principal didn't just come here to have some nice chit-chat with the new octopus in the house, I could only assume that he wanted to say his piece of mind. And considering that there is nothing that could faze that man in the purple suit except for a very few specific reasons, I could only assume one thing had happened before I came here.

In other words, Korosensei screwed up. Seeing that I already met the principal personally before I was inducted in the E-Class, I already know his plans for the school, and why was the system currently this way. It was a rotten system, that's for sure – but it was a logical system with a purpose, infinitely better than society, which doesn't even have any kind of patterns or threads of data to pull from.

Which is why I could understand what the principal was thinking, risking his reputation in order to personally deliver a message towards the yellow octopus that transferred in as our teacher.

Which was also the reason why I immediately followed after the principal, my footsteps raising a few clouds of dust once I stepped outside as I tried to keep up with the man in the purple suit, finally catching up to him a minute later while we were currently in the middle of the mountain trail, a place where no one could spot us having a talk.

Need I dare say that the principal has gotten a hold of my thoughts now? "Hikigaya-kun. What a pleasant surprise in order to see you here, out of all places. How's your current class holding up? Are the rest of you doing well in your studies?"

"Might want to just disperse the whole 'fatherly' act since no one's watching the two of us anyway, Asano-sensei", I said in a blank tone as the light in the principal's eyes was immediately snuffed out, and replaced with a cold and calculating stare. I wonder if I could do that someday in the future? "...I want you to listen to a proposal of mine."

The principal simply stared at me blankly for a few more seconds as I could feel the visage of a centipede squirming around at a place that I couldn't see. But still, I held my ground and met his gaze head-on. If you want to be heard, then one must gather up his courage and strike with all his might. Well, my knees are shaking though, so go and bother, "...I don't have much time."

So he said as he continued walking down the mountain trail, my feet immediately catching up with his pace a second later as I could only nod in response. What he said wasn't necessarily a rejection, so that means that I could speak my mind as long as he still held interest. Therefore, I took a deep breath before I continued with what I was going to say.

"Why don't you give the E-Class the chance to improve their scores?"

Silence reigned through the air as I swore that I heard a chuckle from the principal, who simply stared at me with eyes filled with dark curiosity, "...Now, while I'm obviously curious as to what kind of brainwashing did that octopus do to you in order to think of something that is completely opposite from your own personality, but–"

"Thinking about it logically, it would be a win-win situation for all parties involved", I said, immediately cutting into the principal's words as he tried to silence me with a glare. But Nakamura's glare was scarier than his, and I'm pretty sure that the only reason that I felt chills run along my spine was because I imagined Komachi getting angry at me for some reason, "...Give the E-Class the chance to prove their scores, they would be satisfied with their current standing and quell any signs of rebellion towards the school system. The other students would realize their shaming of the E-Class isn't going to work unless they _actually_ work hard, and their overall grades would go up as well, which means an overall better image of the school. Like I told you Asano-sensei...it's a win-win situation."

"...Hm", the principal said, stopping in his tracks as he brought up a hand to his chin in thought. Eventually, after a moment of thought, he slowly nodded in acknowledgement, "...Indeed, Hikigaya. It is just as you said, that this plan is a win-win situation. Less dissent and a higher standard could only be good for the school's reputation, but...Normally, such an idea like this would be thought of as completely worthless of time from what was supposed to be your standpoint."

"If it was me that you met before I was forcefully transferred to the E-Class, then it might be true", I said with a nod as the principal widened his eyes ever-so slightly at me, "But...Well, let's just say people change when they are forced into extreme conditions."

"...Is it that octopus?"

"It _is_ that octopus."

"I see", the principal said with a resigned sigh as a thin smile formed on his face, "...In any case, I shall be taking your idea into consideration, Hikigaya. But let me ask you this question just once – did you have any help with coming up with this idea, by any chance?"

"Well, if indirectly changing my perspective about the world around me could be noted as 'help', then I'd have to thank more people that I probably could fit in one hand...I think. Maybe I _could_ just count them on one hand."

Let's see. Korosensei, Nagisa, Karma, Nakamura, and Kanzaki-san. That's literally five people right there – the amount of fingers that I have in my hand. Which means that I _could_ count them on one hand. Thirty points for Hikkindor! "...Yup. Could count five of them in one hand."

"I see", the principal replied, a thin smile once again gracing his face as he nodded at me, "...Then, what about that assignment that I had tasked you when you first transferred in?"

...I stopped walking, staring at the principal as the gears in my head started to whir faster than a helicopter on steroids. A moment later, I finally strung the words that I've been trying to put together for the past few minutes, "...It's going well. A step forward in the right direction is still progress in my count."

The principal nodded in response to my words, "I see. Then, this is where we momentarily part ways, Hikigaya. Once again, I'll be mulling over your suggestion. If something changes in the next few days, then I'm pretty sure that I have already implemented your idea into action."

"Thank you very much, Asano-sensei", I said, bowing towards him at waist level as the principal's smile grew wider, an amused snort coming out of him a second later as he once again started going down the mountain trail.

From the glint in his eyes, I knew. I knew that he would most certainly implement the idea that I had suggested – all the costs be damned. For that was who the principal of Kunugigaoka is – a logical man to the core, one who thinks with his mind rather than his heart.

What I would've become if I had no one to save me from the fall.

[–|–]

The rest of us were currently out in the back lot, watching Korosensei's back as he berated the rest of my classmates for having the defeatist mindset that they have. Meanwhile, I simply leaned against the wall, listening to the yellow octopus talk about how things don't necessarily go according to plan.

In a sense, Korosensei was right. It was something that I had put thought in. If tomorrow happened and we found out that Korosensei had been killed by someone else and they had gotten the prize money of ten billion yen, I found myself asking whether or not I would be able to continue with my life as normal. Of course, I found myself answering my own question with a resounding 'yes'.

I didn't need the ten billion yen. I sure as hell didn't want to be hailed as the savior of earth and be exposed in front of all the media for them to make me into their very own pincushion for their slander and vilification. The main reason that I wanted to stay in this class was that I could at least have some free time to myself. If it was the main campus, then every teacher there would be constantly prattling about 'cramming' and the like, which frankly, doesn't work out too well for today's kids. I mean, we're currently handling stress levels that would normally diagnose a person in the past for insanity after all, so does that mean that we're stronger? No. No it doesn't. The increased stress only serves as poison for the body, and sooner or later one needs to let it out on something or some _one_ in order to return back to normal. I could find it here in the satellite campus, where the E-Class is, but as for my other classmates...Well, go figure.

Which was the main reason why Korosensei was currently using the stick in order to make us learn. If me and the rest of my classmates didn't shrug off our inferiority complex in response to the other classes in the main campus, then what would we return to when Korosensei was gone? Sniveling wrecks who can't even pass a test properly, that's for sure.

Somewhere along the line though, I heard something about him requiring us to get towards the top fifty in the midterms in order to keep Korosensei from escaping. Of course, I knew it was just a stick disguised as a carrot. There was no way in hell that this octopus was running away from this classroom any time soon. The only reason why it was so effective is that he intimidated us by letting us taste a portion of his true power – in other words, it was simple bullying.

And here I thought that Korosensei was better than the rest of them, but then again, what was I supposed to expect exactly from a walking, talking, yellow octopus that can move at Mach twenty? Nothing. We're just supposed to sit back, relax, and be treated to a look to all of his abilities like we were always at his beck-and-call.

He said it himself – he was a teacher first and foremost before he was an octopus that can destroy the world. If he had a reason to bully the rest of our class, then he's doing it out of a personal desire to see us grow. Of course, I can only say this with absolute certainty because he's not a human. If he _was_ human though, then I would be more concerned about holding myself back, because if Korosensei _was_ actually human, then I would've already shot him in the crotch with a full load of my BB gun. No sexual euphemism there – just a plain old execution that would leave him unable to spread his disgusting genes further down the family tree.

Of course, I can only do that if he was a _human_ teacher. He was not. That was why I can put my faith in him. We were of different species, so that means that the two of us needed to at least sympathize with one another in order to make sure our intents get across the species barrier. Communication isn't necessarily required – what was absolutely important in return was a way to discern intent. Which is why I am grateful that an alien out of all things is teaching us what we needed to be taught, not by some asshole who thinks that good studying habits equate to 'cram information until your brain is half-dead'.

Which is why, I still studied at the same pace that I had been going up until now. If I didn't have information about a certain topic, then I simply let Korosensei explain to me the basics and let me derive everything else from that explanation. It was how I get by in Math and other subjects that I knew would be problematic – I start with the basic concepts first, and use them to form new information using my brain to bridge different kinds of connections. It was that exponential growth in information that made me learn information much easier and at a quicker pace than most of my classmates, which translated towards my scores in the midterms.

It seems that the principal indeed had thought it through, and decided to go along with it. A few days before the midterms were supposed to start, he personally went teaching about some new material included in the midterms that the rest of my classmates couldn't have known about, which in return resulted them into getting at least a portion of the total scores. Which meant that they couldn't have gotten into the top fifty. Which obviously meant that Korosensei would be leaving (lol) this class for good.

As Korosensei was sulking by the teacher's podium, my accomplice-in-crime Karma Akabane threw a knife at him, provoking him with his talent for sadism as the rest of the class finally joined in, throwing jabs at the octopus' expense as the walking doujin fodder finally snapped, scolding the rest of my classmates for ruining the serious mood in the air as I couldn't help but smirk in my seat, watching the chaos unfold as I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief at the scene.

After changing our mindsets this far, Korosensei didn't have any right to simply quit halfway. That was my simple reasoning in order to convince Karma to team up with me so the two of us could restore the class's spirits to normal.

I sighed, hugging my bag closer to my body as I closed my eyes, feeling the sensations of sleep slowly take me away as I blinked, with Nagisa's voice piping up over the crowd as his voice was filled with unabashed curiosity, "Wait Karma-kun. If you got the 3rd in the midterms out of the rest of the 3rd years, and Asano-kun was 2nd...Who was first?"

"Oh, that's easy", Karma said, shooting a glance towards me as I could only scowl in return. Damn it, I've been found out _this_ far into the game, it seems, "...The first in our whole year..."

Stop. Just...say it already. Stop adding more suspense to fuel their unbridled curiosity, I beg you. I'll even lend you Vita-chan for two – no, three days – for you to just end it right here and right now, "...Is none other than Hikigaya Hachiman."

...Yes, I expected silence, but this hurts far more than I should've known. Just what the hell am I supposed to do in this situation again – "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!?"

I grimaced, the class's attention now focused towards me as I hugged my bag tighter, trying to make the problem disappear just by trying hard enough, but Wishcraft isn't necessarily going to work for me this time around. I don't have enough prana to cast it, after all, "Hi-Hikigaya!? You're the first out of all of the third years!? C-Can we see your papers!?"

"Like hell–"

"–Don't worry, I already got it!" Korosensei said as I immediately perked up from my desk, seeing that damned octopus currently holding my papers and waving it around like a fan. Of course he was acting smug, seeing that he had those damnable green stripes across his face...Until he read my results – "H-HUH!? J-J-J-JUST ONE MISTAKE!?"

"HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!?"

Hikigaya Hachiman, ranked 1st out of 187, with a score of 499 out of 500.

Well, I'm sorry that question about inherited traits just strike a cord with me, alright!?

* * *

 **AN: ...Seriously, I put a lot of thought into that 'campfire' scene during the last chapter, but I got nothing except for two reviews about it. That's just sad T_T.**

 **In any case, the principal is a little bit OOC in this fic, but it's because that I made him this way. I hinted at an earlier meeting with Hikigaya during the chapter, and I'll be leaving it up to your imaginations to wonder what happened before I put that chapter in the works, which will probably be in the future. In any case, post a review if you think you knew what happened. And, I need more reviews. Like, seriously. I need** _ **more.**_

 **Also, on another note, Hikigaya's not going to get someone just yet, and he's not a playboy. It's just that he's still feeling things out for himself since it's just the first trimester...Well, just wait until the second to third trimester, I guess? So just bear with the story until then. In any case, thanks for everyone who's supporting this story ever since it's conception up until now. As a special thanks, I think I'll be releasing a special chapter along with Chapter 10.**

 **Thank you very much for your support. And see you again until next time!**


	10. 10 - That Damnable Sleepover

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 10 – That Damnable Sleepover

* * *

The doorbell rang. I didn't want to wake up, nor do I want to go out of my own way in order to answer the person who was currently at the door. I was still not technically violating our promise – if I was asleep, then it was natural that I'd lock the door to my apartment. Who was to care that I was sleeping at a later time than normal? It was a weekend after all, and weekends are supposed to help you rest in order to calm one's body down before you are once again subjected to the rigors of life.

"Hachiman!" A very familiar voice screamed from the door towards my apartment as I couldn't help but grunt and turn over, trying to muffle out the sound from my ears as the banging of my door now seemed to grace my ears. Damn it! I need sleep! Go away demon!

"Hachiman!" How can I hear the voice of a demon even though my ears are muffled? It's quite simple, really – I have sensitive ears, "Hachiman! Are you still sleeping!?"

A few seconds later, my phone rang, but since it was across my bed and on my desk, I couldn't even reach for it even if I have to. Plus, I can't get out. Not after the sound of a PreCure opening was currently making a ruckus throughout my apartment. Not after my embarrassment after being found out that I was a PreCure fan was finally washed from my system.

"Yo", the electronically-recorded voice of me said as my phone now started its function as an answering machine, "Hachiman here. You've got any messages, just leave them after this."

After a short beep, the message was played out in full volume, much to my incredible discomfort as I tried to not to wince at the volume that threatened to destroy my phone's speakers, "HACHIMAN! IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES I'M GOING TO BREAK YOUR DOOR DOWN!"

...What would my parents do if they found out that a girl had broken down a solid oak door with nothing more than a few well-placed kicks to the locking mechanism? I don't want to find out, much less cause the situation that would lead into that.

What a way to start a morning. I want to go back to sleep, but the witch who's already plotting for my doom was still waiting outside my door. It would be bad to keep her waiting outside. My logic doesn't make sense. But it's still morning, so it's fine...I think.

So, I slowly made my way towards the door, a yawn escaping my lips as I placed a hand over my mouth to try and hold in the yawn that was obviously already done. Like I said, it's still morning, so it's fine...I think. Actually...just what is she doing here early in the morning?

"Coming..." I said in a sleepy tone as I opened the door, finding Nakamura glaring at me with her sharp blue eyes. Yeah, I know. It's still early in the morning, so I'd like to know as to why did you come here _this_ early, "...Rio, huh. It's still early in the morning you know."

Apparently, such an obvious thing was not perceived by Nakamura, who's left eye twitched at me, "...Hachiman. It's already eleven in the morning."

Oh.

 _Oh._

I blinked as I glanced at her, still standing at the threshold in front of my apartment as I sighed after a moment of silence, moving to the side as I opened the door wider so that she can enter, "...Come in."

" _Finally_ took you a good five minutes before you realized the first thing that you needed to do", Nakamura said as she rolled her eyes at me and stepped into the foyer, promptly removing her shoes as her blue eyes gazed at me with an unnatural clarity towards them, "Hachiman...You're not a morning person, aren't you?"

"Hm? Ah...I think?" I said, scratching the back of my head as I gave out another sigh, "Well...make yourself at home for the moment...I guess? There's some canned coffee at the fridge, and I need to well...take a bath and other stuff...I guess."

As I turned around in order to go towards the bathroom, I was stopped by Nakamura calling out to me, "Hachiman."

"What?"

"It would be better for you if you kept that personality of yours for the foreseeable future", she said with a thin grin plastered on her face as I couldn't help but scowl at her in return. Indeed, my instincts were working just fine, acting up whenever I knew that Nakamura was teasing me or not. And she definitely was teasing me just a while back. The grin on her face was enough for me to infer something about her.

Moving towards the restroom, I started stripping and placed my clothes inside the washing machine, noticing that it had gotten a bit full over the past week and reminding myself to do the laundry sometime later. As I closed the door behind me and watched as my bathtub slowly began filling up with lukewarm water, I slowly got in and felt the warmth slowly seeping throughout my whole body. My mind slowly returned to its usual self – the one that didn't act so slowly when it came towards everything under the sun, and soon I realized one thing that I hadn't realized earlier due to whatever magic that my mind was using earlier in the morning.

Namely, it was Sunday today.

Which of course, threw everything that I had expected out the window. I mean, she _did_ say last week that she would be visiting on Saturday, right? I'm pretty sure she did. It came with the physical trauma of my shoulder getting crushed under her vice-like grip after all, so I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to forget it any time soon. Which begs the question as to _why_ Nakamura was here on a Sunday, even though we were supposed to be having that study session yesterday.

Now that I think about it...What happened yesterday?

...Oh. Wow. I can't remember a single thing. This isn't good. Just...wow. What the hell did I do yesterday so that my mind would make sure that it was completely wiped from my memory? It would be fine if all that happened yesterday was that Nakamura simply rescheduled the study session to be done today, but then again, I would've remembered it if it was the case.

"Hachiman, are you sleeping in the bath?" Nakamura's voice echoed through the apartment as I winced at her words, immediately getting off the bath and drying myself off as I once again heard her voice a moment later, "If you are, then don't blame me if I need to get in there and drag you out before you drown, alright–"

"I'm done already!" I snapped back, raising my voice as it came out a few octaves higher than it should be and damn, I am embarrassed. That was probably the main reason why I could hear that witch's laughter from across my own apartment, and I couldn't help but thinking of simply slamming the door on her later. But then again, she was already here, so making her leave was already out of the question.

I sighed, putting on the clothes that I had brought with me to the bath as I placed a towel over my hair. I was planning on drying my hair earlier, but my thoughts had already distracted me while I was in the bath, and I don't want a repeat of that situation again–

Wait. 'That' Situation? 'Again'? It seems that fragments of my memories were returning back towards me, but they're still too scattered for me to make something coherent out of them. Damn it all! Why can't I remember something from yesterday even though it's just at the tip of my own goddamn tongue!?

Calming myself down by heaving a deep sigh, I began to dry my hair with the towel as I got out of the restroom, seeing Nakamura already immersed in her studying as I could see an open Math workbook and two pages of her notebook already filled to the brim with possible solutions to the problems, "Hachiman, help me out for a little bit here?"

"I was just getting to that, if you don't mind", I replied back without the usual sarcasm in my tone as I sat next to Nakamura, the latter inching away from me ever-so slightly as I pored over her solutions and frowned. If there was one thing that I had noticed from her schoolwork so far...it seems that Nakamura Rio was incredibly bad with Math.

"Rio, you're already a third-year, so why the hell are you so bad at factorization?"

"Bite me, Hachiman", she hissed at me as she moved closer towards me, and I could smell the faint scent of cologne on her. Did I mention that it smelled like lemon? Because I definitely didn't say that just now, "...So, where had I gone wrong this time?"

'This time'. Woman, if you don't have any kind of faith in yourself first and foremost, then how the hell are you going to improve? Agh, whatever. Spouting philosophy is more of Korosensei's line of thinking – I'm just here to objectively guide them towards a better conclusion, "Here. You're supposed to draw out the common factor '4x', and thus you're left with an easily factorable square binomial...here. Just separate that function into their respective factors, and you find out that the function's zeroes are located at zero, one, and two."

"Ah, I see", Nakamura said as she let out a low whistle at me, "So you're just supposed to factor out some terms when it seems that you can't factor it immediately at first glance?"

"Well, that's obvious", I said, but my condescending tone was degraded into someone saying some irrefutable facts. What the hell is this skill? Am I seriously more amicable while I'm inside my home? Just what kind of double-edged sword is this? "This _is_ Math after all; you need to see the patterns first before you could just bulldoze through the problems without a care in the world. Though, the main problem here really is that a lot of people don't see an easier way out when the solution's staring at them right in the face."

"...Somehow, I'm both impressed and disgusted with your ability to connect Math to your own twisted brand of philosophy", Nakamura said with a tired sigh as she glanced at me with her lazy blue eyes, "So? Anything else that I needed to do, Hikigaya-sensei?"

I cringed, "...Just keep on practicing a few more problems, I guess. Twenty would be right about a good number, but if you'll excuse me, I need to make myself some breakfast."

"Ah, could you cook lunch for me as well?" A challenge? Woman, you dare challenge me when it comes to my skill in househusbandry? I know that it's a word that I had made up, but still, it is an affront to me! I shall show you my skill and prowess in this craft, and leave you lying in shame, witch!

"Sure. Is curry fine?" Why!? Why can't I get angry while I'm inside my abode!? Is this the side-effect of treating anyone who comes here like a guest so that means that I have to just suck it up and keep my grudge locked away in a separate dimension!? Scary! Conditioning is scary! I'm going to have to chew my parents out for this the next time I meet them!

"Whatever knocks your socks off", Nakamura simply replied to my question with a nonchalant shrug as she once again brought her focused stare towards her studies, leaving me all alone to cook for two as I couldn't help but shake my head and sigh.

Oh well. Curry it is, then. After putting on my apron, I reach down towards the refrigerator and pulled out everything that I needed. Since I couldn't be bothered more with trying to cut up bones and the like, I simply settled for the boneless breasts that I was able to find at the supermarket, and even though they were more expensive than normal, at least I didn't have to spend more time and effort removing the bones from them.

As usual, I am Hikigaya Hachiman. And once again borrowing my inspiration's words, 'If I have to do it, then I do it quickly.'

Let's see...Onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, salt, pepper, curry mix...and the chicken. I think I'm ready. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am. Less than a minute has passed ever since I started cooking, and I think I'm doing good headway with the peeling of the stuff that I needed to peel. Well, the onions come first, the carrots go next, and the potatoes go last, but I'm pretty sure that I'll only be peeling the damn things when I was already stewing. Those things go brown faster than you can recite a singular poem.

The minutes tick by as I continued on cooking, the soft sizzling of the chicken being fried being heard throughout the entire apartment as the smell already started to seep into the kitchen's general vicinity, much to my chagrin as my stomach growled like a beast. This is bad. Cooking while you're hungry is bad. That was the main reason why I quickly turned off the heat to the pan when I was sure that they were already cooked, and after letting them cool down for a few minutes I transferred them towards the simmering curry. And thus, once again, the mouth-watering scent of food filled the air, and this time I was forced to wipe off a little bit of drool that had come out of me as I tasted the curry, a satisfied smile forming on my face as I glanced towards the rice cooker, seeing that it was already done with the rice about five minutes earlier.

I guess setting the table came next, then. A few plates, a few spoons, a few forks, a few bowls, a few glasses, and a few mats later, I had already arranged them out in a neat and orderly fashion, turning towards Nakamura who was still hard at work with her Math problems. Well, she was already done with all of them, so I guess she was just solving a few others out of leisure. But that would mean that she saw Math as fun. Which is a trademark of a nerd. Which meant me. I'm pretty sure I didn't teach her that Math was fun. After all, I'm not one for changing worldviews, after all. That's more of Korosensei's shtick.

"Rio, lunch is ready", I said in a tone just loud enough to reach her ears as she perked up and craned her neck to look at me, already sitting by one of the chairs in the dining table, "...And if you space around like that any further, then I'm afraid that I won't leave anything for you."

"What are you, my mother?" She deadpanned in a blank tone as she slowly rose up from her seat and stretched with a yawn, "...Well, solving all those problems made me a bit hungry, so I might as well indulge and eat. I mean, it's _your_ home after all, right?"

And once again, that sly grin was on her face. Seriously, damn this witch. Just because it's my home and I've been conditioned by my parents to be hospitable at the very least doesn't mean that you get to exploit it and take away my only source of sustenance! Sure, I admit that I've been gorging on instant noodles a bit lately, but that was only because I didn't have enough time to make proper food! But now that I _do_ have the time, you're just going to eat them without leaving some for me!? Just who was it that cooked this damned curry for you, woman!?

...And I most definitely only cooked this since I needed to eat something nice myself, so you better not be misunderstanding something, you hear!?

[–|–]

"That was delicious", Nakamura said with a contented sigh as she leaned back on her chair, a nostalgic smile forming on her face as I couldn't help but shudder at what thoughts might be running through her mind at that moment, "...Hachiman, why don't you become a househusband in the future?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what I aspire to be even before I entered Kunugigaoka, thank you very much", I replied as I washed the dishes, the chill in my spine growing colder as I _definitely_ knew that I was being viewed as an object to have. Ordinarily, a person – much less a _single_ person – would most definitely misunderstand Nakamura's words and assume that she was planning on marrying them, but I knew better, for I was not like most single people. Indeed, the main reason why I felt like death was just near me is that I have a feeling that Nakamura would simply use me as a tool to keep on providing her with meals for every day of our married life.

My imagination was running wild, sure, but the way that she kept on looking at me was unsettling. It was as if she was weighing the pros and cons of buying a slab of meat, and to be frank, it was terrifying to be put under that gaze of hers.

"Hachiman, do you want to–"

"No."

"I'm pretty sure that you can–"

"I refuse."

"You have a lot of potential in your hands, you know–"

"Not listening."

Stay calm, me. Keep on washing the dishes. You are at home. You are in Zen mode, the ultimate form of tranquility and stillness. Mental effects are nulled against you and your allies. Even Nagisa's Marin Karin has no effect on you in this area. Which means to say that my own apartment is pretty OP. Kind of like a place where you can't inflict any kind of status effects.

But...Nakamura's just dealing physical damage with her stare, not some kind of status effect. Which means that the zone around my apartment wouldn't help me with this problem of mine. Oh, how I loathe my circumstances so, "Rio. Just go back to studying while I'm washing the dishes. _Please._ "

"Fine, fine...You're too much of a stick in the mud, Hachiman", Nakamura said with a frown on her face as she got up from her seat at the dining table and made her way across the room, sitting back at her spot in the living room as she once again started studying. By herself. Why she wanted this to be a study session, I wasn't sure. I mean, I for one, am not studying, since there's apparently a school trip after midterms. Quite a nice strategy if I do say so myself – make sure that your subjects are appropriately rested after a particularly grueling task, and they worship you for being an understanding person. Truly, such a plan can only be attributed to Asano-sensei himself.

"Hachiman", Rio's voice rang out from where she was as I stopped washing the dishes, leaning backwards to make sure that I could get a good look at the witch before she turned her head towards me with her signature grin, "How about I tell you what happened yesterday if you tell me what happened to that bonnet that I brought for you?"

I stopped. I'm pretty sure I dropped the plate that I was washing right now, but I was grateful that it was made out of plastic, though the stains on the floor would at least take me at least an hour of cleaning to wash off. Nakamura's blue eyes widened for a second, but instantly sharpened into a glare a moment later as I couldn't help but flinch and take a step back in instinct.

...This is bad. I still remember Kanzaki-san running off with the bonnet that Nakamura had gotten for me, and who knows where she already placed it. Although, I have a sinking feeling that it was probably being eaten by scavengers in a trash can somewhere.

Damn it! Damn it all! First I wake up and find out that I had lost a day's memories (I'm starting to think that Nakamura had a thing in all of this), then here comes a witch that does nothing but freeload off my hard work whilst she spends all of her time relatively doing nothing, and then to top it all off, now I get to sell out my privacy in exchange for information! Wow! What a wonderful day!

"No thanks", I replied in the most even tone that I could muster as I saw the traces of shock form on Nakamura's face. Oho? What's this reaction? Did you seriously believe that I would simply accede to your request just because you dangle such tempting bait in front of me? In a normal situation, I would've immediately agreed, but the Bounded Field around my apartment dispels the status effect of 'being impulsive'. Which is why I was able to come up with this decision.

My own memories are of less importance than Kanzaki-san's trust, that's what I decided. Which is why I decided to not take up the witch's deal. After all, I have my suspicions about her, seeing that she was unnaturally quiet ever since she entered my apartment. A normal Nakamura wouldn't even be fazed by this, even if she herself had just barged into a boy's apartment.

Which was why I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at her, but didn't say anything else. Sure, I might talk, but then that would also mean that Nakamura would know that something was up. And I don't want a witch out of all people to be suspicious of me.

...Well, technically she already is, "...Hachiman, what happened to your bonnet?"

Oh. Dropping the pretense of a fair trade and going straight for the interrogation? I am absolutely surprised (not) by these term of events. Just what happened to you Nakamura? As a friend (lol), I must know the reason as to why you're acting this way, "Well, it's apparently in Chiba. Mom and Dad seemed to have taken it with them...without my consent."

"Ah, I see", Nakamura said in a blank voice as she went back to focusing on her studies. Oi woman, why do I get the feeling that you didn't believe a single word that I had just said? What's with that blank look on your face? That's a plausible excuse, and you know it! Stop acting like you don't believe me at all!

And I can't believe that I'm even complaining about this in the first place!

...Whatever suits her socks, then. I'm just going to go and continue washing the dishes like normal, and pretend that nothing happened – "So, you gave that bonnet out when you went on a date, right?"

"She just stole it without my consent, and it isn't a–" I stop myself, perking up and quickly whirling my head to look towards Nakamura as she stared at me with a frown on her face, her blue eyes blazing with...some kind of fire (what the hell?) as she slammed her mechanical pencil on the coffee table and glared at me.

"Hachiman, can it, will you?" Nakamura snapped at me as I widened my eyes at her. No matter how one puts a spin on things, she _is_ angry. Angry at me for letting someone that was at most a passing fancy take away a symbol of our supposed friendship. Did I take it seriously? No. It was just a bonnet after all – you can buy it anywhere you like, as long as it fits your tastes. But what about for Nakamura? I'm not one to talk, but if I want to indulge myself in the illusion that I know her so well, then I would agree that the bonnet had sentimental value. A souvenir that was a symbol of our supposed friendship with one another.

But then again, if our friendship was held by a bunch of material things such as a simple bonnet, then it isn't really friendship isn't it? More like compensated friendship.

"Like hell I'm going to just shut up about this", I said, a thin frown forming on my face as I met Nakamura's glare head-on, "Why are you so hung up about a damn bonnet anyway? It's not like losing it would be so detrimental to us being...well, whatever kind of relationship that we have anyway. Acquaintances, right?"

"It's not just some 'damn bonnet', Hachiman..." Nakamura said as I saw the hints of tears shimmering at the edges of her eyes, her voice cracking as my gray eyes widened ever so slightly, "...You know what? Fine. Have it your way. I'm leaving."

She quickly gathered up all of her things and wildly stuffed them inside her bag, wiping her eyes in the process as she quickly went out the door and slammed it shut. All in the span of a few seconds.

I sighed, going towards the living room after washing my hands as I sat down on the couch, letting out a sigh that I had been holding up as I leaned back into the couch, placing an arm over my eyes as I let a smile form on my lips. Not out of relief, but out of regret.

Seriously...human relationships are hard.


	11. 10 point 5 - The Man Known as Hachiman

**Deadeye**

* * *

Special Chapter – The Man Known as Hachiman

* * *

[Nagisa] 

Hikigaya Hachiman. Aside from Kayano, he's the only male transfer student that had transferred into the E-Class, and to be frank, I don't know much about him. I've heard Nakamura-san talk about him transferring from Chiba a few times back in the past (they were friends, apparently. Who knew?), so now we know where he came from (which is pretty far), but not much else. It seems that Nakamura-san wanted a monopoly on the information about him, and so it was up to me to discover what exactly makes Hikigaya-san work.

Although, given his intense paranoia about his surroundings, I can't just sneak around unless I want to be found out. Which is why, a direct approach is needed in dealing with him, "Hikigaya-san?"

The mess of dark hair perked up at the mention of his name, slowly craning upwards to look at me as his dull gray eyes widened at the sight of me. Probably out of curiosity, nostalgia, or anything else in between, really. Like I said, I don't know that much about him.

Which is why the best approach is to be direct towards him, "Hikigaya-san, do you already have a group for the school trip?"

His eyes widened in surprise as he blinked at me for a few times, his eyes shifting from the phone that he held in his hands and me until he finally eked out an answer in response, "...Sorry. I already have a group that I'm in."

Now it was my turn to widen my eyes. Someone invited him to be a part of their group? No offense to Hikigaya-san, but I feel like he's one of those people that have no presence whatsoever in the room, so it must've been nearly impossible for someone to strike up a conversation with him without feeling weirded out by his presence. Add to the fact that he wasn't really much of a conversation starter means that not a lot of people talk to him that much.

...Wow, I just sounded really condescending back there. I'm sorry Hikigaya-san, but I'm sure that you can find the time and place to forgive me in your heart. I'm just stating the unbiased truth here, after all.

"Eh? Who?" Came my measured reply as Hikigaya-san once again blinked, intending on making it slow as possible in order for him to buy some time before he speaks. I knew what he did. I do it sometimes as well, when I'm faced with a question from Korosensei that I didn't know from the get-go.

"...Chiba and the others."

...Now that's really unexpected. Chiba-san usually doesn't talk all that much, and if he took it upon himself to ask Hikigaya-san to join their group...that means that Chiba-san really wanted Hikigaya-san to be in his group, didn't he? Ah well, I guess it can't be helped. I'll just ask one of Chiba-san's groupmates later about him.

And so, I have no more people to ask to be a part of my group in the school trip. I think.

...Though, Karma-kun's still here, so I guess I'll ask him.

[Karma]

Hikigaya. Just the name brings to mind those cold dead eyes that I've seen quite a couple of times during those rare moments wherein we had actually worked together for the greater good (lol) of the world. It's quite a bit obvious to check into his background to see if I could gouge out some kind of blackmail to use against him.

Having that kind of guy working under you is a godsend, after all. He's those types of people that are extremely lazy, and thus would do everything in their power to make sure that they would stay that way. Quite a genius on my part, but he also lacks the usual 'holier-than-thou' attitude that most of those geniuses exude, and seems quite content with just taking the backseat and letting others do the thinking and work for him.

Seriously, the guy's a good recruit for a company. Though, I guess that his dream was just some kind of mundane rambling that most people wouldn't even think about doing. Like an editor, for example. Or a chef. Or a househusband. The last one is the most mundane out of all of them.

Which is why I'm pretty sure that Hikigaya's going to do whatever it takes to make sure that he's going to be a househusband in the future. His determination is just simply outstanding, I could tell.

Since I have nothing to do for the moment, I just let my eyes observe the new transfer student, observing that he values his sleep more rather than socializing with other people. Though, considering that he got only one mistake in the entire midterms, I think that he spends the rest of his time studying. Quite late, if he had the gall to sleep in class.

Makes you think that there was no way that his only mistake in the entire midterms was a Science question about 'inherited traits'. But then again, maybe talking about it was enough to grind his gears so much that he made a mistake when it comes to that question?

...Hm. Better take a note, just in case. Like Nagisa's notes on Korosensei's weaknesses, I'll also be listing Hikigaya's weaknesses in another notepad. It's a much better use of time rather than just playing around like the others, and it sure is a good help in identifying potential weaknesses that I could use for blackmail.

Here's what I've gotten so far:

[1 – He's antisocial.]

[2 – His eyes look like a dead fish that's been through a thorough squeezing.]

[3 – He is apparently sensitive about his eyes.]

[4 – He is easily distracted by cute-looking boys or beautiful women.]

[5 – He stores his pornographic material in his PS Vita. (footnote: Although it seems that the number that I find every day seems to be decreasing at a steady pace. Going through a phase or something?)]

They're the only things that I had gotten so far, but it's already a treasure trove of information. I could use Nagisa to distract him for a long time while I pry away his secrets, and I could blackmail him about the pornographic content on his handheld. Although, I need to work with the latter suggestion quickly since I'm sure that his entire collection would be gone by the end of the week.

I sighed, keeping one eye open in close watch of him as I couldn't help but shake my head at him. To take down an experienced member of the military with a move like that – sure, it was a given that he had lost the first few rounds, but still, it was a valid win...Something must've happened to him that made him into that way. Along with his eyes, that's for sure.

Though, I don't want to get shot by a BB gun in the nuts like Okajima, so I'll not be going through the direct route for a moment. Besides, I'm not Nagisa, and I'm not like Kanzaki – he's just going to see through my intentions with a single glance and then I'm screwed.

So, a cute boy and a beautiful girl. Hikigaya's got high standards, but if it's the price to pay for letting him slip something out, then I guess I could persuade Nagisa and Kanzaki in order to help me out. The two of them are curious about the guy, after all.

Especially the latter.

[Kanzaki]

Hikigaya Hachiman. If I were to say something about him, then I guess...I'm a little curious?

...It sounded like I was speaking for someone else for a moment there, but it seems that I was wrong. Still, my curiosity about him remains, and nothing's going to change that. Sure, he was cranky, he was crass, and had the delicacy of a bus hitting a wall at high speeds, but what mostly made interested me about him were his eyes and his sharp mind.

And to be frank, I'm already at an impasse. Any attempts to talk to him have me stonewalled by him acting like he was asleep. And my position in this class halted any, all, and further attempts to try and go out of my way and talk to him. I'm pretty sure that the boys are going to have a little bit of a panic attack if they saw me associating with Hikigaya-kun, after all.

Maybe he was testing me. Challenging me if I could change myself for the better by breaking down the façade that I have and showing my true self to the rest of the class. But I knew that I couldn't do it. Mostly because that I had no courage to do so. Unlike him.

I had heard of a few snippets of what he was like before he transferred here, courtesy of me eavesdropping onto him when he was sent to the clinic after that one particular game of Koro-ball. A pariah. An outcast. A creep. A recluse. He was bullied by others after failing a confession, forced into the spotlight even though he was unaccustomed to it due to his societal anxiety. There, he was verbally and mentally degraded by scathing words and rebukes, put on a pedestal for all in order to make an example out of him. He was shown as a pariah, and was societally stoned for it, and at the end of it all, he had finally cracked and clamped his heart shut, the same way that he physically did for the rest of the world around him.

But now, here he was. He was still unable to hold a conversation for too long, and the dead eyes that he had gotten as a result of the various affairs in his past middle school were still there, but lately, he was looking better. That slouch of his was almost nonexistent now, and quite a few of us were surprised after he came in with his back ramrod straight. He stood higher than Terasaka-san. If it wasn't that much of a difference, then I don't know what would.

Not only that, but his eyes were getting a bit livelier lately. Sure, on the surface almost no one would notice it, but stare at his eyes long enough and you'll see the little twitches and movements that showcased the emotions that he always hides under that poker face of his. Of course, it wasn't as if I was staring at his eyes for an unhealthy amount of time, but I could still see the minor differences when I put my mind to it. They weren't just blank anymore – they were filled with something, and apparently that was enough for him to continue living; to continue going to classes every day without the fear of getting shamed for his past deeds, and to continue on pursuing something. Once again...that 'something', I did not know.

He was always a step ahead of the rest of us. I knew that he had taken off Korosensei's arm during that one time wherein we ambushed him all with BB guns, using the lag time in between Korosensei's movements in order to fire at a slightly different time than the rest of his peers and thus creating a blind spot that he could capitalize. I also knew that he had taken down Karasuma-sensei with a hidden weapon that almost no one saw until it was too late – he was so devoted to taking our PE teacher down that he even took an elbow to the groin in order to keep up the masquerade. He could also read our intent in between the lines, and figure out what was happening in the room in the get-go, and act accordingly to the information that he had gleaned, and he seemed to have a good grasp in his people-reading and academic skills. The midterms should've already proven that by beyond the shadow of a doubt.

All because he had the courage to step forward. Courage that he had gotten due to meeting some people for sure, like Korosensei, Nakamura-san, and dare I say it – me. He had gotten the courage that he had needed in order to take a step forward by piercing through my façade and seeing me for the desperate little girl that I am. He took a step forward, seeing that if he stood still and let things happen impassively, then he would turn out exactly like me, keeping up appearances in order to please everyone.

He didn't bother whether or not people's opinions of him were good or bad – he simply assumed the worst and kept on trudging forwards on his own path, ignoring the opinions of those around him and only believing in what he truly believed was right. That was the manifestation of his courage – the seemingly abstract concept that had imbued life into his dead eyes and made him take a step forward of his own volition.

And even though I should be grateful for the first classmate who had seemingly given him the first step towards achieving that courage, all I could feel was empty and hollow jealousy. For I was not the one who had figured him out; outlined all of his wants and fears into separate boxes and sifting through them to find out his actual personality; got to know him better by forcefully trapping him in conversations that he couldn't escape so that he could have a chance at an opportunity and grow...It was not me who had done all those sorts of things. It was not me, Kanzaki Yukiko, who had broken through the walls around him and showed him the first out of many steps that he had to take in order to gather his courage and move forward.

It was not me who did that. Instead, it was Nakamura Rio who solely deserves the credit for that.

[Nakamura]

Sunday was a mess that I hoped would be erased from my mind.

Should I have just told him back there and then? That I had gotten my emotions worked up on that Saturday and knocked his head after finding out that he had went on a supposed date with Kanzaki-san? Should I have just told him back then and there that he needed to retrieve the bonnet that I had bought for him since it was a memory for me that I wouldn't let to fade into nothingness?

Nevermind what I had to say, the damage was already done. He already thinks of our supposed friendship as 'compensated'. A give-and-take relationship that shows nothing but an empty void beyond that. A relationship that values a material thing such as a bonnet rather than the thoughts and memories that the object brought with it.

His eyes were slowly getting better, and his smiles – as thin as they were – were now increasing in frequency. But then again, here was my subconscious, ready to jack everything up in a moment's notice. And I had lost control.

Conflict should drive a friendship forward. But even if I believe in that whole-heartedly, Hachiman would obviously prattle on about his usual philosophy and come up with a conclusion that was nonsensical at best and outright annoying at worst.

But if I think about it from Hachiman's perspective, it all made sense. He had objectively valued Kanzaki-san's trust over the retrieval of his memories. Any sane, logical person would obviously make that choice. One would obviously cherish something that was present in front of them rather than a vague, obscure mess that might not even exist. Hachiman was a logical person to the core. Of course he would choose Kanzaki-san's trust over his own well-being. He was also that kind of self-sacrificing person, after all.

Still...knowing his line of thinking hurt. The fact that he was willing to throw out the human variable out of the equation without a single objection made me feel hurt. It made me think that maybe whatever kind of friendship we had was nothing more than just a series of variables and equations to him – that he might not even see 'me' on the other side of the blackboard. That thought made me scared, made me release my inner fears all in one go, and at the end of the day, I had hurt him with my words and actions. It was his apartment, yet I had slammed the door on his face. Twice. Once from his perspective, since he couldn't remember what happened on that Saturday.

I saw his usual poker face, but unlike what I had seen from earlier times wherein I literally can't get a read off of him, now cracks of emotions started to show through. Anger. Frustration. Annoyance...Regret? Sadness? Pain?

" _It's not like losing it would be so detrimental to us being...well, whatever kind of relationship that we have anyway. Acquaintances, right?"_

Ah, _that_ was the reason why I finally slammed the door on him. The word 'acquaintances'. Somehow, just hearing the word again was enough to make me frown. Acquaintances. After all this time, Hachiman still thinks that he and I are still acquaintances. Are acquaintances someone who let you drag them around like they were some kind of ragdolls? Are acquaintances someone you share your thoughts to? Are acquaintances someone you trust wholeheartedly to let out the darkest secrets that reside inside your heart, and cry out your hopes, fears, and dreams on?

...Do people who do that simple call themselves 'acquaintances'?

But then again, I could only grit my teeth and watch. If I had a chance of reconciling with him, then I need to find out the reason why he still thought of me as his acquaintance. Was it only really because that he thought that I was more bothered over the fact that I was more concerned about the actual bonnet itself rather than the thought that came with it?

Yes. That was simply the reason why. If it was Hachiman, then it always comes down towards the simple reasons. But...

...Just how do I talk to him about this? Do I ask Korosensei for help?

[Korosensei]

...As usual, Hikigaya-kun is sleeping in the middle of class. But once again, I ignored it and continued on teaching. After all, even though he _looks_ like he's sleeping, he's actually the one paying the most attention out of all my students.

At first, I thought that Hikigaya-kun was just like Karma-kun – a prideful young man who always flaunted his skills towards others, but never sharpened them. However, I was proven wrong by the man himself. Hikigaya-kun was far away from Karma-kun, mostly because of the fact that he _has_ no pride in his skills. He always thinks of himself as lower than everyone else, and therefore acts like a nobody who thinks that he wields a rusty blade, but never realizes that he wielded a reliable blade that can cut through anything with enough effort and skill.

...Or once again, so I thought. As of late, I only realized that he fully knew the extent of his abilities, but didn't want to show what he's capable of to other people aside from himself. Was it because he inherently has a lazy side to him? Or because he wanted to hide something from his peers?

Hm...I think I've got an inkling of exactly what's going on in Hikigaya-kun's mind, but I need someone who's always talking to him every day in order for me to have some kind of breakthrough. Like Nakamura-san.

Though, seeing them today...I'm thinking that something happened between them. Or was it just my imagination? But Hikigaya-kun's been releasing this 'don't talk to me' aura ever since the first period, so I'm pretty sure that something happened between the two of them. But was it too much to ask directly?

...Heh, maybe I could just snoop around for a while and find out the cause during the field trip. It's one of the main benefits of having Mach 20 speed, after all.

Although, if it seems that Hikigaya-kun's relationship with Nakamura-san is strained, then that means that I have to step in and...do what, exactly? Conflict is essential for a person's growth. If it means that both Hikigaya-kun and Nakamura-san would grow from this experience, then I wouldn't even dare step in.

But if things take a turn for the worse over the school trip...then I might consider stepping in and doing something. That I can be sure of. But for now, all I can do is observe. Observe and watch, and try to form some kind of idea as to what happened to Hikigaya-kun's situation.

Ha...And here I thought that I might be on the verge of some kind of breakthrough here...I think I'll just bide my time and see how things go in the future instead of fussing about the present.

It's only two months since the school year started, after all. I'm sure that I could manage to know all of my students by the time that the school year ends. Even though at least one of them is so adamant that his private life be not exposed into the public. I was about to figure out whatever his past was before he transferred here, but unfortunately I was forced to retreat by the hail of BB bullets that Nakamura-san had apparently fired at my position. Seriously, how does Hikigaya-kun know where I am each and every single time? Does he always keep a watch on me everywhere? Or does he have some kind of tracking device on me that I couldn't even notice?

Scary. Hikigaya-kun is scary. Just what is it with those senses of his? That's just plain scary.

I end my lesson for today, seeing the rest of my class file out the doors in order to respectively change into their gym uniforms, and my eyes moved towards Hikigaya-kun's seat, seeing his lazy eyes locking with mine. His glasses were skewed, signifying that he had _actually_ slept during my class, which was quite a rare occurrence nowadays that I felt a little bit shocked.

"Sensei", he said, his voice barely above a whisper as I made a conscious effort to listen to his words, "...Don't you go dare snooping around on the field trip, alright?"

How can he read my mind!?

[Karasuma]

Once again, I am treated to Hikigaya Hachiman's performance in my class, and I just can't help but feel a little bit appalled by his actions. Sparring with him was just like dealing with a machine – too efficient, too controlled, but then once you think you have gotten his pattern and you think you can win, he immediately changes his approach to that of a human one, and quickly uses the opportunity to strike his opponent down.

I still remembered the first time that he had beaten me, when I hadn't shown my true capabilities yet in front of the E-Class. He was methodological in his approach – never extending too much unless he wanted to learn something about me. Each and every single defeat that he had suffered under my hands was a chance for him to learn about the timing of my strikes, how long it took for my strikes to land, and most important of all – how and when do I throw my strikes around. After his initial win against me, he has been on a roll, and ever since then I was already having trouble keeping up with him.

He would be a good recruit for the military in the future...if only he were to do away with his faux persona of being a lazy kid.

 _Ping!_

...Though, if I were to praise him more than I already should have, then it would be due to his stellar marksmanship. At the third week that we started PE after I showed them the basics of training, I tested their initial ability in marksmanship to fire a BB gun while in range. Most of the class was in the predicted range, with the only outliers being three people. And out of those three people, one was also another outlier.

I didn't have to say his name again, do I? Hikigaya had just straight out murdered the rest of the competition with a score of 498 out of 500. And the two stray misses were due to him being distracted by his other classmates who had no idea of what 'personal space' meant. Be it with a pistol or a rifle, his marksmanship was already on the level of an accomplished sniper. Plus, with his ability to track and predict his target's motions and the lack of hesitation when on the trigger, it's frankly quite terrifying to be the one standing on the other side of his sights.

 _Ping!_

Not only does he have his terrifying shooting ability, he also keeps track of his immediate surroundings like a hawk, and can immediately adapt to whatever situation he's placed in or in accordance to his comrade's movements. At the slightest hint of the rest of his classmates moving, he had immediately changed his firing pattern to walk towards a death trap, where the majority of the E-Class was waiting.

That would not do. Three or four people I can handle, but against fifteen or so people all charging towards you at once, I can only think that I would suffer the same fate as Julius Caesar.

Which meant that there was only one thing left to do in order to escape this encirclement: to break through the weakest link of the circle and surge on forward. Although, the only thing that made Hikigaya the 'weakest link' of the chain was only because he was alone. Not because his capability was far behind the other members of the E-Class – quite the opposite, actually.

 _Ping!_

As if sensing my intentions, another BB pellet once again whizzed past me, cracking against the bark of the tree that I was currently using as cover as I could only let out a relieved sigh, but all that I got for my trouble was another pellet cracking against the trunk of the tree that I was in.

I was currently suppressed in my spot, that's for sure. And unless I can move, Hikigaya would just signal the rest of his classmates to move forward and take me out. Which was why I needed a decoy.

I plucked a branch off from the tree that I was in and threw it off to my side, hearing the comforting crack of the BB pellet hitting the branch that I threw as I immediately whirled in the other direction and dashed forward like a mad deer.

Within a second, I was already at his position, driving my rubber knife through the air and feeling...rubber? What the hell – "Sensei."

I immediately whirled around at the statement and drew the gun that I had on my waist, firing a single shot through the air as I felt my balance immediately whip to the side, my body's momentum in my turn being used against me as I whirled in the air, slamming against the ground a second later as I felt pain shoot up at the back of my head.

A single figure came into my vision, but I wasn't given the luxury of firing a shot at him as my arm holding my gun was held in place by his foot. His gun once again fired, the BB pellet slamming against my forehead as I could only sigh and show a resigned smile, my grin being mirrored by his own expression, which seems to be extremely relieved to have shot me on my forehead.

...Seriously. Just because my forehead is big doesn't mean that you have to milk the joke until I'm dead, Hikigaya. Just how bad is your sense of humor, anyway? In any case, not to oneself: be sure to make Hikigaya the 'duck' for the next five games of Duck Hunt. Let's see if he can still survive five games of being chased by everyone all over the place.

Really...Just how petty had I become now?


	12. 11 - Train Woes

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 11 – Train Woes

* * *

A school trip. A training camp in order to make students realize that in their future jobs, they are not able to choose as freely as they are now, giving them a chance to be free for once in order to ruthlessly take them away in the future. After all, in business trips, you can't choose your mode of transportation, your choice of inns, your food, and you obviously can't choose your travel route. This school trip is a way of showing students that they should be grateful of all these little things, but also warn them that this would be the fate of any trips that they will be making in the future, and to make sure that they cherish the freedom that they currently have right now.

Woah, stop right there. Was I...being optimistic? What in the – Never before in my life have I ever been so optimistic before! Woah, what the hell is this kind of feeling!? I've never felt this before! Are these tears...?

"Hikigaya-san...just why are you crying, exactly?" An orange-haired man beside me deadpanned as he could only look at me with an expression that is best described as 'pity', "Did seeing the coach made you cry?"

"No...Obviously not..." I said, trying to avoid screaming at myself for crying in such a public place, "I'm just...shocked that I could still have...optimistic thoughts."

"...It seems that you have some kind of problem, Hikigaya-san. Do you want me to help you out?" The orange-haired man said as I immediately sent a glower his way, causing him to freeze up after catching a glimpse of my dead eyes.

"I don't need your help. And I don't have any problems. And I'm sure that you wouldn't tell anyone else about this, or else..." I said, my voice turning outright threatening as I caught myself at the last minute and sighed, "...Well, let's just take our seats, Mimura."

"Oh, I see", Mimura replied with a smug grin on his face as I could only sigh in exasperation and rub my temples, stepping into the coach as I immediately found the seat that I was looking for – a window seat that was closest to a toilet. As I took claim to my seat and made sure to leave my baggage on the alcove above, I sat down on my seat and appreciated the soft feeling of my seat on my back...until I opened my eyes and saw the rest of my groupmates taking their respective seats in close proximity around me.

Is it me, or am I feeling that everyone's been in my case as of late? "Why are you guys still here?"

"Come on Hikigaya-san, we're just trying to know each other better over here", Mimura said as he gave me a not-so-disarming smile, "So, what do you want to do as a hobby?"

"Sleeping", I curtly replied as I turned towards the window and closed my eyes, "...And that's exactly what I'm going to do. Just don't make any loud noises and we're good, alright? Actually...don't take any pictures. I'm not a zoo animal."

I glanced back towards the members of my group, who were looking at me with unreadable expressions on their faces. Somehow, seeing their poker faces made me sure of my suspicions, "...Oi. You guys..."

...Yup. I was definitely sure. They were going to take pictures of my sleeping face at the moment that I let my guard down and I fall into a deep sleep. Which is why the best way to thwart this plan of theirs and to get some well-deserved sleep is to simply get up and leave, "Then, watch my stuff for the moment. I'm going to buy some drinks."

"Ah, can you buy us some drinks too, Hikigaya-san?" Mimura said as he was already setting up a game of blackjack with him as the dealer. I _did_ notice him forcing a shuffle though, so I just glared at him silently until he finally managed to shuffle the cards fairly.

But still, acting like a gofer for drinks would make me less inclined to talk to them...Yeah, let's do that, shall we? "Sure. What do you guys want?"

As I rummaged through my belongings in order to pull out a pen and paper, I faced the rest of my groupmate and seeing them look at me with expectant eyes. No. Hell no, "...I'm not paying for them, by the way."

Their deflating expressions were one that I would cherish for the rest of this school trip, "So, what do you want, Mimura?"

"Green tea."

"Are you an old man?" I couldn't help but fire back on instinct as I sighed and wrote his order down, my gaze turning towards an ashen-haired boy, "So, what do you want Sugaya?"

"Iced coffee?"

"Why are you even phrasing that as a question?" I shot back as I tried to calm myself down and turned my gaze towards a black-haired boy with bangs covering his eyes, "Chiba?"

"Iced chocolate."

"Are you a kid?" I fired back without a care in the world as I sighed and wrote down their respective orders, my gaze turning towards the last member in my group, "...Then, what do you want, Hayami-san?"

"Oi."

"Can it", I snapped at Mimura as I once again faced Hayami-san and met her green eyes head-on, "So? Hayami-san?"

"Plum juice."

"I see..." I said, writing her order down as I began to step away from our group's seats, before something stopped me in my tracks, "...What should I do if they don't have any plum juice?"

"Apple juice."

"Got that", I said, a thin smile forming on my face as I left my group's seat and moved towards the aisle, memorizing their orders once again as I walked towards the next car, stopping just in time to hear some few...unsavory individuals talking about kidnapping some people and doing all sorts of nasty things towards them. Most certainly of the sexual kind. I was planning to just let them go unnoticed, until I saw who they were exactly talking about. They were my classmates, and I knew one out of three of them. Knew one of them just enough in order for something inside of me to click in place.

Once I heard enough, I opened the door, glaring at every single one of them as they visibly flinched and took a step back towards me. Slowly, I walked forward, making my steps as deliberately slow as possible in order for them to realize what I had meant. As I finally reached the door towards the other car, I glanced back towards them with cold anger in my eyes, "...Don't you dare lay a hand of them, alright?"

I opened the door, and quickly slipped through, closing it just in time for one of those excuses for trash slamming against the door with his weight. The expression on his face when he crashed into the fiberglass pane was enough for me to let out a dark chuckle, making me smirk as I continued my search towards some form of drink bar.

...Well, I might have to keep an eye on some people, but after that short scuffle, they wouldn't do anything stupid. Unless they're idiots of the highest caliber.

[–|–]

"Huh? Hikigaya-san?" Kanzaki-san's voice made me snap out of my anger-induced stupor as I perked up and stared at her. What should I do? Technically, this is my first time interacting with her under the scrutiny of classmates, so she's technically in her other persona right now.

After a second of thinking, I just settled for a nod and moved towards an idle waitress, rattling off the orders that I had taken from the rest of my group as the waitress nodded and immediately pointed me towards one of the vending machines.

Plus, all the drinks there costs only 200 yen. How wonderful.

It only took a few minutes for me to get everyone's drink orders, so now I was just stuck with my own drink. Though I preferred iced coffee over the rest of the drinks currently here, there were a lot of brands so I couldn't just decide on a single one. Although, I simply decided on the can labeled 'MAXX Coffee' due to time constraints, and the can rolled out the bottom of the vending machine as I took a look at it and hummed, cracking its lid open and taking a sip out of it–

W-What!? Just what is this overwhelming sweetness that seems to reach deep inside one's bones – one that forces you to bow down in all of its demented glory!? Just what is this pure, unadulterated sugar rush that immediately sharpens your mind and clears up every mystery that you never even noticed!?

...I have decided. This would be my one and only drink for whatever purposes I might have in the future, "It seems that you're enjoying your drink. Can you move aside for a little bit so I can acquire some drinks for the rest of my groupmates?"

Just when I was having the greatest revelation of my life...Kanzaki-san apparently decided that it would be a good time to step in and pop my metaphorical balloon, "...Sure."

I scooted to the side, just enough for Kanzaki-san to access the vending machine as I slowly sipped my drink. I have decided to drink it as slow as possible in order to make sure that I cherish this moment.

Still...what to talk about...?

" _It's not just some 'damn bonnet', Hachiman..."_

Nakamura's voice once again echoes through my mind as I once again frowned, a slight scowl forming on my face as Kanzaki-san glanced at me with a curious expression written all over her countenance. Looks like she noticed the shift in my mood. Scary. Women are scary, "...What is it?"

Might as well approach the matter without any kind of delicacy at all, "Sorry, but I'm going to need that bonnet back."

Her amber gaze suddenly began turning ice-cold as I finished what I had to say, sending that stare in my direction as her voice were a few steps lower than normal, "...Sorry, but I can't understand the reason as why you wanted it back. Would you care to explain it to me?"

I frowned. Playing another one of your games with me, woman? "Just give the damn bonnet back, Kanzaki."

"...Then I'm afraid that I can't give it to you just yet, Hikigaya-san", she said with a cold, calculating smile on her face as she once again glanced towards me, and I could see the tiny strands of malice lace her gaze and voice, "It's in my schoolbag after all, so I can only give it to you later."

"Buying yourself some more time?" I ask in a cold tone as Kanzaki-san immediately froze at my statement, giving me enough reason to once again glare at her as she sighed, mostly likely to keep herself intact as she shot a disarming smile my way. Too bad her accuracy was only about 15%.

"No, just seeing whether or not you have the courage to take it from me directly", she said in one of the sweetest tones that she had ever given me, but I knew it to be false. A front, directly disguising the unyielding hate that she had for me. And I was certain that I hated her with as much intensity as she did too.

"Ah, I see", I said, downing the rest of my drink and tossing it into the trash can beside the vending machine, "...Then, I might do just that, hypocrite."

As I walked away from her, I swear that I could see a glass-like smile form on Kanzaki-san's face, making me smile at the thought of being able to shut her up with the amount of hate that I have pertaining to her. Actually, I'm just going to just stop being so formal with her and drop the '-san' right then and there. She's not even remotely deserving of being called like a proper lady.

Just when I was about to get off the car, I was stopped by a half-pint with green hair. Kayano...right? "Stop right there, Hikigaya-san!"

I scowled. What do you women want now? "What?"

"Wait for us!" The half-pint screamed at me as she gave me a glare, "Geez, Hikigaya-san! Don't you know that it's simple etiquette to escort women through an unknown place filled with people!?"

"No", I replied after giving her a cold stare that lasted for a single second as I immediately went through the door and slammed it in her face, not caring about other people's reactions as I walked back towards where my group was with barely-leashed irritation written all over my face.

Kayano Kaede. Whoever the hell she was, she's a good actor, that's for sure. Possibly having a more complete disguise with her own enabler to boot. Nagisa's being played around by that woman, and as much as it annoys me to say this, but at this point in time...even I don't know what lays behind that disguise of hers. Though, I only know of one personality trait that's still evident in her disguise.

She's haughty as hell. Just because the rest of your classmates couldn't see through your fake masks doesn't mean that not all of them can just simply stand by and be fooled like the rest of the sheep. But hell, I'm sure that even as smart as Korosensei goes, he couldn't even figure out the fact that one of his students was living a fake existence for whatever amount of time she spent in the E-Class.

...It only takes an actor to know another, after all, and Hikigaya Hachiman is most certainly an actor of the highest caliber.

"Oh Hikigaya, you're already back?" Mimura's voice snapped me out of my stupor as I perked up, seeing him and the rest of my groupmates greet me with thin smiles on their faces as I handed the plastic bag containing their drinks towards them, "Ah, thanks. How much for each drink?"

"200 yen", I simply replied, not even bothering to filch some money out of their pockets as I once again took my seat by the window, staring at the others who had just finished getting their drinks out of the bag and handed me their change. Yup, spent 1 000 yen, gotten 800 yen in return. A net loss of 200 yen for Hikigaya Hachiman.

"Thanks", I said as I pocketed the change that they had given me, causing Sugaya to smile at me as he pointed towards the game that they were playing right now. It was Monopoly out of all things. Hello, but this is a school trip, isn't it? Isn't this supposed to make you closer with others? Then why the hell are you playing Monopoly? "...Actually, why are you playing Monopoly while we're on the road?"

"Eh? Isn't it common sense to play Monopoly while you're travelling?"

"If you want to break friendships, that is", I said in a matter-of-fact tone as I pointed towards Chiba and Hayami-san, who were both exuding dangerous auras that were frankly almost terrifying to watch, "...Just look at the two of them if you don't believe me."

Though in truth, I would've acted the same if I was the one playing in their stead. A monopoly by its very definition is a singular machine effectively owned by one person. There is no place for alliances in this game, unless both sides plan on backstabbing one another sometime in the future. Indeed, this game represents the hidden nature of humans very well – determined, mindless beasts that will not stop at anything and would use any methods in order to attain their goal...Wait, since when did I start throwing smack at Monopoly now? I never had anyone else to play with, so why am I going with the current societal perspective that Monopoly was just another way to ruin friendship, when I never had friends in the first place?

" _Why are you so hung up on that damn bonnet anyway? It's not like losing it would be detrimental to us being...well, whatever kind of relationship that we have anyway. Acquaintances, right?"_

I blanched at my words, with regret once again flowing through me with the force of a wave as I couldn't help but sigh and look away from my groupmates. Just the memory of it made me sick; just seeing her here made me want to regret ever coming here, but still – I needed to.

After what had happened back then, I needed some sort of trip to calm my nerves off and think.

I sighed, a thin smile forming on my face as I leaned forward in response to my groupmates' curious stares, "Can I join?"

The shock that was written all over their faces was enough to make me smile at them like an idiot as I picked up a billboard piece from the box and placed it on 'GO'. A few seconds have passed, and the shock _still_ hadn't gotten away from their faces, making me frown at them in displeasure, "...What? This is a school trip, right? Forming bonds and friendships with people, right? Then why the hell are you looking at me like I'm sort of weirdo that tried to barge in on your parade? I also need to relax too, you know?"

"H-Huh? But, Hikigaya, you're always sleeping in class–"

"That was because I didn't want to socialize with others", I said as a smug grin formed on my face, "...Though, since I'm fully awake now, I think that I could spend some time with you guys. Now, the dice?"

Hayami-san handed me the dice as the rest of my groupmates worked about resetting the board game to its initial state, and just as she handed the dice towards me, she held my hand in a vice grip and pulled me close, her breath dancing over my ear as I couldn't help but hold my breath.

Like being in close proximity to a somewhat beautiful girl wouldn't get anyone's heart racing. It's either they were herbivores or they were denser than a black hole, but then again, the first thing that she said was enough to make me scowl and immediately pull back from her like she was the plague.

"Tsundere."

[Hikigaya's Weakness no. 6 – He's a tsundere.]

[–|–]

"Hikigaya, are you sure, you're not a hypocrite?" Mimura said as he stared at me with a blank gaze, cleaning up the Monopoly board as I gave him a blank look in return, "...You also seemed pretty intent on winning that damn game."

"That was..." I tapered off, a regretful grin forming on my face as I looked away from Mimura, scratching my cheek as I tried to eke out a response, "...Er, it was a lapse of judgment from me. Something that would most certainly not happen again when placed in the same circumstances–"

"So Hikigaya runs his mouth when he knows that he's losing an argument. Duly noted", Sugaya said, writing something down in what appears to be a notepad as he nodded towards me, "...Also, Hikigaya's apparently a fanatic at Monopoly."

[Hikigaya's Weakness no. 7 – He's prone to running his tongue off when he's in a losing argument.]

[Hikigaya's Weakness no. 8 – He's a ditz for board games.]

"Can it", I said, snapping at him with my signature tone as Sugaya grumbled at me and glanced away from my eyes, "So, what are we playing next?"

"Another board game", Chiba said, shooting a thin smile in my direction as I widened my eyes at the board game that he was setting up. Wait. Is that...? "Ah, leave it to Hikigaya-san to know one of these games. The Cthulhu Mythos are not really a popular board game as of late, after all."

"I'll be the GM", I immediately said, a fire blazing in my eyes as I quickly got the GM's manual from Chiba and read it with a sort-of crazed smile on my face, "...Let me warn you though, it's like playing Dark Souls on legendary, though."

[Hikigaya's Weakness no. 8 – He's incredibly sadistic as a GM.]

"GM, change", Sugaya said as he crossed his arms in an X-pattern, staring at me with a frown on his face, "Hikigaya looks like his SAN's already in the negatives, so I don't want to be playing with him as the GM."

"No, I promise that it'll be more interesting", I said in a tone that made me look like I was one of those guys in a commercial, "After all, who doesn't want a game that would have you rolling for your SAN stat every time that you take a step along with the passive degradation?"

Almost all of my groupmates raised their hand instead of Hayami-san, and I couldn't help but sigh and hand over the GM manual to Sugaya, "...Fine. Have it your way. Though, I'm playing the detective, that's sure."

"Oi."

"First come, first serve after all", I said with a smug grin on my face, "Though, even though I have starting 40 SAN, it decays twice as fast, you know? I'm actually taking the brunt of the high-risk high-reward gameplay here, so the least that I could get are some thanks from you guys."

"He's got a point", Chiba said as he took the GM manual from Sugaya and flipped through it as he arranged the pieces on the board, "Civilians only lose 1 SAN after every day instead of 2, after all, so it's a much better choice to just pick the civilian rather than the detective. They might have to play with a lower starting SAN pool, but at least they are at less risk of their SAN being depleted due to the day moving forward. It's also much harder to gain SAN points as a detective after all, so it's a safer choice to just pick a civilian rather than a detective for sure."

"See what I mean?" I said, pointing towards Chiba who stared at me in surprise. It didn't matter that I couldn't see his eyes under those bangs of his; I can more or less guess his expressions from the looks that he gave me, "Chiba's got my drift. Now, it's either I play the detective, or I just be the GM–'

""""Chiba, go and be the GM.""""

"You guys just want to piss me off, aren't you?" I fired back with a scowl on my face as the rest of my groupmates laughed at my expense, making me sigh as I shook my head, smiling at them a second later as I leaned forward, my intent being clear for all of my groupmates to see as Chiba handed me the twenty-sided die, "Then, Hikigaya-san, we start with you first. You're a hard-boiled detective investigating a series of gruesome murders in the local graveyard, and you were just about to end your investigation for the night when you notice a suspicious figure making its way towards the graveyard. You silently trail after him with your suspicions rising, and when you finally see the figure stop in its tracks, you are treated to the sight of a...dead body mutilated beyond all recognition. Roll the dice."

I sigh. "Wait a minute. I'm supposed to be a detective; why the hell am I going to roll the dice over a simple dead body? I'm supposed to have seen my fair share of dead bodies, right? And even if I was supposed to be weak-willed, you described me as 'hard-boiled', so there's no point in me throwing up over such a scene."

"Well, you've got a valid point, but still..." Chiba said as he lowered his voice and scratched the back of his head, "...I'm the GM. And when the GM says to roll the dice, you roll the dice."

"It's an abuse of power, but since I'm still in a good mood, I'll let it pass", I said with a sigh as I rolled the die onto the table, the tell-tale sound of the dice spinning around being played for a few seconds until it came to a stop, the number flashing on top of it making me stare at the damn die in a mixture of surprise, irritation, anger, disgust, and resignation, "...Just...Just what."

Indeed. 'Just what' is the only reaction that I could give right now...Unless laughing off at my expense or staring at me with pity are valid options, and I'm pretty sure that those are no-goes in my book.

But still...Just what. Just what the hell is with my luck today? I know that it's seriously bad for it to affect quantum mechanics itself, but did it just have to manifest itself at the worst of times that it could manifest? I mean, we're literally playing a game with sanity as its main stat, and even though it's not really real, I'm still quite invested in it.

And I still couldn't believe that my SAN stat had been literally cut in half the first chance that I rolled the die. Mimura and Sugaya were already laughing as hard as they could, while Chiba was giving me a stare of pity. As for Hayami-san, she was still staring at the board with a determined look on her face, but I knew from the occasional twitching of her mouth that she was trying her best to not hold back some form of laughter.

Seriously. Damn my groupmates. Damn all of them, for all I care.


	13. 12 - Awkwardness

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 12 - Awkwardness

* * *

The inn that we were staying in was not a bad place – it was actually good by society's standards, and the whole beat-up look just made it more authentic than the other inns. Yet, the rest of my classmates still complained, seeing as that the other classes each have their own rooms in a five-star hotel. I mean seriously – why can't people just appreciate what's been given in front of them?

And thus, with my thoughts roiling over my head so, I took another sip of the MAXX Coffee that I held in my hands, once again savoring the sickeningly sweet yet incredibly comforting taste of the coffee as I sighed in bliss. Yes, this is nice. This is very, _very_ nice. I'm going to make sure that I have at least my entire refrigerator stocked with this every day, "Hikigaya, mind if I sit here?"

Karma. Now, one would immediately wonder as to why he's approaching such a deadbeat loner like me, but then again...He's sharp, "Go on."

"Thanks", he said, a thin smirk on his face as he drank his canned tea, before his devilish eyes glanced towards me and immediately blanched at the sight of the drink that I was holding, "...Hikigaya, you drink that stuff? Are you sure that you are as mature as I thought you'd be?"

"Can it", I said as I snapped at him on reflex, "I'm not complaining about your old man tastes either, so zip your mouth shut and let's get this over with. Why are you going out of your obvious way to talk to me about something? In an out-of-the-way part of the inn, nonetheless..."

"I'm a little bit curious about something, that's for sure", Karma said as he shot a grin in my direction. I _seriously_ didn't need one of his signature grins _now_ , out of all times. I mean, this is practically an interrogation, you know!? "Namely, about Nakamura."

I blinked, slowly processing what Karma had said as I slowly shifted my spot away from him, "...Alright. I didn't know you to be the kind of person that would just suddenly blurt out stuff like that, but please be reminded that I would always support you in your endeavors, as long as you're not genuinely hurting other people for it–"

"Maybe I could've worded it a little better", Karma said as he once again shot me a grin, "What I'm actually interested about is your relationship with Nakamura. Well, your _current_ relationship."

Oh.

 _Oh._

Just how the hell did he know that!? "Wait, I think you're sorely misunderstanding something here. Me and Nakamura are just what you'd call–"

I stop, the words that I was supposed to say immediately being strangled out of my throat as I couldn't help but frown at my current situation. Being trapped between a devil and a wall was enough grounds to be called an interrogation, but somehow I couldn't seem to place this kind of feeling that I'm currently getting inside my mind. Confusion? Regret? Some kind of anger?

"That, _that_. That's what I'm interested in, Hikigaya", Karma said, pointing at me with a curious expression on his face. Like a wolf being interested in a wounded rabbit that's bled out too much to move, "Why can't you say that you're friends with her as your usual blunt self?"

"I–" I began to say, but I was immediately silenced by unknown memories dredging themselves up from beneath my unconscious and started bombarding me with emotions that I swore I had already dealt with ever since I started a blank sheet. Despair. Betrayed. Hopelessness. Anguish. Inability. Darkness. Despondence.

What do I need 'friends' for, when I know that they're just going to stab me in the back sooner or later? For what should I put my trust in another for, when I know that they're going to use that trust in order to warp me into their own will and interests – to turn me into a tool that only serves their own will? For what reason should I close the distance with another, when I know that I would be simply tossed away after my purpose is done and be left to rot?

One cannot survive alone in this world, that I know. But one does not necessarily have to place one's trust in one another in order to do so. One could lie, one could tell half-truths – the thing is, most people don't listen. All they need to hear are the words that they want to hear, and they'll open up everything to you – their past, their thoughts, their minds, their heart – all in order to make the other party keep on saying the magic words that they needed to justify whatever actions they may take. Reconciliation. Resolution. Compromise. Whatever the words are, and whatever its rewards, ultimately they are all just chips on the table.

And I plan on stacking my bargain as much as I can before I pull the trigger.

Karma was now staring at me with a glint of morbid curiosity in his gaze, something that I simply ignored as I took up another gulp of the drink that I was holding in my hands; both to buy time, and make it clear to him that I didn't want anything to do with the topic. Five seconds pass between us. A minute passes between us. Five minutes pass, and still the damn bastard can't read the mood, so I simply sigh in exasperation and throw the coffee can at a nearby trash bin as I stood up, "...We've got five minutes left before that damn octopus begins searching for us and notices that we're not in our groups yet. I'll be seeing you later, Karma."

"Sure Hikigaya; run away for the moment", Karma said as he stood up and gave me a predatory smirk and a glare, "But...I'll be back. Over and over again. And soon, you'll be wishing that you told me everything that I needed to know."

I snorted, taking whatever he said at face value as I started walking towards the front of the inn, stopping once again as my vision came across a certain vending machine as I narrowed my eyes at it, finding myself a choice between MAXX Coffee and its pure black version. A few minutes of decision-making and I finally slotted a 100 yen coin inside the vending machine and pushed the button in favor of the black coffee.

It might be an insult towards the greatness of MAXX Coffee itself, but I knew that if I were to spend the rest of my day without any kinds of problems whatsoever, then I needed that can of black coffee, no matter what anyone would say about my particularly screwed-up tastes.

Plus, I needed something to psyche myself up for whatever's going to come next, since I've been having this distinct feeling on uneasiness ever since I got on that damn train. Well, that...

...And an overactive yellow octopus that doesn't seem to stop yapping at me when he saw me exit the inn with a tired and bored expression on my face. Count in the fact that I was technically late for the tour, and I've been greeted with twice the usual volley coming from Korosensei.

I saw a couple of worried glances look my way, but I quickly tuned them out as I made myself useful in our group by bringing our itinerary and bark off orders as to where we should go next. It was a wonderful feeling, going through the city of Kyoto without so much as any adult supervision whatsoever as I made myself at home at the top of my own figurative world, but nevertheless, I found myself staring at the scenery with a sullen expression on my face.

The double combo of Okajima and Nakamura was more than enough to make my usual headache hurt more than normal.

[–|–]

"Hikigaya..." Okajima said, a smile on his face as he turned towards me with a smile on his face as I urged him forward, noting that he sweated much more than usual in response to the BB gun that was currently pressed towards his back. Courtesy of me, of course, "...I thought that we were friends?"

How about you stop throwing that word around like it absolutely means nothing to you? "Shut up. The first time I heard you talk was about your unhealthy interest in my little sister. Like I'd let you run wild in a city full of women, pervert."

""Siscon."" Came the deadpan from both Nakamura and Hayami-san as I gave them a blank stare in response.

"Who wouldn't be moved to protect their little sister when a pervert seeking to take their little sister's chastity suddenly appears in front of them?" I question whilst keeping my tone even as the two girls grunted their affirmation, which was basically another two metaphorical shots towards the pervert known as Okajima Taiga.

"Devotion is such a double-edged sword, isn't it?" Mimura asked out loud as if insinuating something, which of course I obviously took offense to and gave him a glare. Twelve years of being with a sibling that's as cute as they go – who wouldn't want to be devoted to such an existence?

...Alright, I admit that I said something pretty creepy just now. I am sorry. I hope that you can find the time to forgive your disgusting older brother, Komachi.

"So...here we are at one of the nondescript bridges that litter the cityscape", I said, pulling out our itinerary as I stopped in the middle of the bridge's walkway, flipping through its pages with a reading speed that can only be attributed to me as I stopped at a particular entry, "...It's close to 11:20 am, which is synonymous to free time. Chiba suggested that we go towards the Toei Kyoto Studio Park, but...what's there to watch aside from live-action period drama?"

"Actually, there's something that I'd like for you to do there", Chiba said as he sheepishly raised a hand and used it to scratch the back of his head, "...It's crucial to the assassination, after all."

I blinked. Right – we had snipers working with us that was hired by the government. Given how the park had enough vantage points to easily draw a bead on that damn octopus, but there was one thing that didn't sit right with me, and it was – "If it was crucial to the assassination, then why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well..." Sugaya said as I stared at him, noticing that he immediately averted my gaze, "...It was supposed to be a surprise and all of that, but trust us for the moment. I think you're going to like what you're going to do next."

No. I am not liking this situation at all. Being forced to an open area by a bunch of middle-schoolers with no clear objective isn't sitting right with me after all. My gut instincts tell me that I should just stop this and move on with just dismissing everyone towards their specific hobbies and the like, but there was _this_ tiny spot of morbid curiosity that my groupmates had exploited...and I was shamelessly baited into, "...Alright, the park it is, then. Where is it?"

"Just follow me", Nakamura said as she proudly jutted her chest forward and immediately strutted off, followed by my other groupmates who joined a second later as I couldn't help but sigh in defeat at my own lack of stamina.

Guess I'll just need to walk at a slow pace, then, "Hikigaya."

"Hikigaya- _san_. You forgot the '-san' part, uh..." I stopped, glancing towards girl who had apparently stayed behind with me, my mind's gears quickly whirring into action as I tried to remember her name, "...Fuwa-san."

"For a guy who always seems to sleep in class, you do pay close attention to other people's names", she replied, showing me a smug smirk as I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her and stare out at the river that this bridge was supposed to cross, "So, Hikigaya- _san_ , just how long have you been stalking me out for, exactly?"

"The moment that you joined the group", I replied as smooth as I can without missing a beat as I once again started walking. Damn the heat, damn the city, damn the school, damn the classmates, damn the one girl that can't read the mood. Seriously woman, I'm trying to make myself scarce here. I need to find out what the others had planned for me just in case that I was supposed to be stuffed in a tutu or something, "Wasn't too much of a stretch to figure out that you were trying to find something about me. Did someone put you up for this or something?"

"It could just be to satisfy my personal curiosity, you know", Fuwa said as she frowned at me, "...And Hikigaya-san, I think I seriously need to say this to you, but the whole world doesn't revolve around you. You've got this smug air around you, you know. And it's kind of unpleasant to be in as of late."

"Well, _I'm_ sorry", I said, my face a complete and utter blank as I tried to rein in whatever emotions was threatening to take over me. Calm down me; just take a few deep breaths and think clearly. You're Hikigaya Hachiman – thinking's your specialty, "If you think that I'm so unpleasant to be around, then why don't you just distance yourself away from me?"

"Nakamura's quite a good friend of mine", Fuwa said, and once again that damn word once again pops up during the day like there's some kind of virus around or something, "...It wouldn't be good for my heart if I saw her hanging around such a despicable man that only sees her body as a tool."

I stop, giving Fuwa a cold, hard glare as I saw her flinch for what seemed to be an instant, my voice coming out a few octaves lower than normal, and laced with an iciness that I didn't know I could do, "...Could you please stop insinuating that I'm only hanging around Nakamura because I'm just those run-of-the-mill teenager boys that can't control their hormones? I never asked for this. That woman just wanted someone to play her game with, and I was unfortunately in her line of sight."

I take a step towards Fuwa as I continued on giving her a glare, making her step back unconsciously as I narrowed my eyes at her, "...So if by any chance you're any good ' _friends_ ' with her, then take into chance your own damn ' _friend's_ ' actions before you go accusing someone else based on nothing more than circumstantial evidence. Capiche?"

"G-got it..." Fuwa said, shakily turning her back towards me as she quickly sprinted off to join the rest of my groupmates a second later, leaving me alone at the edge of the bridge that we had passed as I sighed and shook my head, gazing at the blue-green waters that run underneath the construct that I was standing on as I hung my head a moment later.

Why...was I doing this?

I don't know the person known as Nakamura Rio. If anything else, assuming that I know something about her is something akin to pride, one that I would rather not like to be associated to as of the moment. I am Hikigaya Hachiman. I am a person. As skilled as I am at reading between the lines and deducing at what people think, I am still a person; bound to make mistakes in one way or another. If it was the me from the past, then I would've just assumed that I already grasped all of Nakamura Rio's habits in each and every single way, and I would be humbled if I saw her reacting in a different way that does not match my expectations.

Hikigaya Hachiman isn't just a computer program that would simply act when a mistake is made and try to fix it, no. The person known as Hikigaya Hachiman is a human – one that always makes mistakes, one that always fails at something as simple as understanding another. For being human means being exposed to mistakes almost all the time, and the remaining 1% of that time was when true clarity is reached, without any form of bias or greed, and being able to completely and utterly read someone else without a second thought.

Since I was human, then I should only be exposed to quite a few occurrences of those events. The fact that I'm being exposed to them at a higher rate than normal means that somewhere along the line, my subconscious just tells me to ditch all form of humanity and just straight up me a machine...somewhere...sometime...

...And I managed to keep the bile inside my body. Out of all the things that I could think of now, that one just takes the cake. Was I so prideful that I tried to pass myself off as a human or a machine, when I never was one to begin with in the first place? What right did I have to assume that I knew myself from the inside out, that I completely every single inch of the disgust and revulsion that other people saw?

It's sickening. Here I thought that I'd be the only genuine thing that I saw in this cruel and unjustifiable world, but the irony of me being one of the things that I absolutely despised was nothing short of heartbreaking.

Out of all the lies that I had encountered in this world, why must it be me? Why must it be my entire existence? Why must my entire existence be something more than just a contradictory paradox that always seemed to loop around itself with no form on conclusion whatsoever?

I smiled, leaning over the bridge's railing to see my own wicked countenance staring back at me with a mysterious smile on his face, as if wanting to thank me for doing something that I did. That smile was something that I didn't expect from me – it looked so _real_ that I couldn't help but immediately grimace at the sight of it.

But still...seeing that my reflection could smile like that...I felt curious. What could I have done in order for my reflection to warrant such a _real_ and approving smile directed towards me? Self-satisfaction? No, if it _was_ that kind of feeling, then that would've meant that I would've felt at least some vestige of guilt from deep inside me. If it wasn't self-satisfaction, then it would've meant that one of my previous actions lined up so much with my moral compass that I couldn't help but smile like an idiot by just remembering it.

...Ah, I see. This smile on my face was due to me defending Nakamura earlier, wasn't it? If that was the case, then...

...I'm more selfish than I thought I could ever be.

[–|–]

"I am naught but a wandering traveller, searching the lands for my family's killer as nothing but a lowly ronin", I said, my voice being the picture of perfect calm as I stared at the two parties who were about to clash, my hand idly resting on my katana's sheath as I tried to decide which party should I lend my support to. The admirable man protecting a geisha from the advances of common street thugs, or the thugs themselves who were working under orders to retrieve the woman at all costs? "But...If it pleases you for me to take sides, then stay your hand until the last moment. My blade shall point towards the party that I would like to be scoured off this face of the earth."

Huh? Why am I reciting some lines as if I was in a period play? Well...I _am_ in one.

Slowly, I drew my katana from its sheath...and pointed it without hesitation towards the thugs, "My decision has been made. Prepare to die by my hands, scoundrels."

With a single, decisive shout, the thugs immediately split off and began attacking both me and the man who was protecting the geisha, aiming to cut us off between each other. But! I am Hikigaya Hachiman! If such a situation would put me in such a disadvantageous situation, then I wouldn't even survive for a single month after travelling this land full of bandits!

...Or, so my backstory says. My stance immediately changed, taking a step back whilst holding my katana in my left hand, pointing the blade backwards in order to discourage the thugs from trying to attack my back. My muscles were taut, my eyes sharpened to a point that the poor thug in front of me couldn't move out of fear, and my plan, although lackadaisical, was more than enough to make sure that I get out of this encirclement and lend my aid towards the admirable man who had the balls of steel needed to face off against an entire gang of thugs.

Thus, I charged, my katana already moving before the poor thug in front of me can react as I slashed upwards, reaping the man's life in a single well-timed strike as my katana embedded deep into his right hip, a diagonal pushing the blade upwards as it exited the poor man's left shoulder, the man collapsing after uttering one final cry of pain as I once again dashed forward, my actions effectively breaking the encirclement around me as his comrades tried to circle me once again, but to no avail. My body was smaller, my frame lighter, my strides faster – in less than half the time that it took for an adult to reach my destination, I was already there.

And my katana once again swung, its intent immediately materializing as a silver flash of light as the thug in front of me as once again cut down by a singular swing of my sword, and as he fell, I immediately dashed inside the other circle that held my comrade in as my katana was once again held in a ready stance, but the thug's blade was already in motion by then.

Which is why, I stepped to the side, letting the thug's clumsy swing drag his center of gravity along with him as he lost his balance and stumbled forward, giving me enough time to send a solid kick towards the back of his palms as he screamed in pain, but was silenced a second later as he was cut down by my katana.

Before I knew it, I once again held my katana at the ready, my back being pressed against my comrade for the moment as I held my katana steady, waiting for the thugs in front of us in order to make a move as I couldn't help but break the tension in the air by speaking, "How many are left?"

"Twelve", the man said as he successfully parried a strike from one of the other thugs as he used the opening to end the man's life by a quick stab through the heart, "...That makes it eleven."

I ducked as another thug's blade tried to bisect my mid-section, being denied the chance to do so as I quickly flashed my sword upwards, driving it deep from the thug's stomach all the way through his heart as he leaned forward, catching him just in time as I tossed him towards my left, his dead body being served as a momentary target for the strike that was supposed to came at me as the body fell, leaving the thug behind it shocked at my sudden maneuver as he hastily tried to regain his stance, but he was already too late as another upward slash from me was enough to make him fall, "That makes it nine."

The thugs, as if sensing their advantage in numbers was slowly being dwindled by pure martial skill, took a step back in fear, allowing me and my partner to finally take up the offensive as we both dashed forward, our katanas glinting with a deadly mix of steel and (fake) blood as we made short work of the remaining thugs, with their moral in tatters and fear of death looming over them, it took no less than one strike in order to chop them down.

A few minutes of hard fighting (lol) later, we had finally eliminated the various thugs that were sent by someone else as the two of us collapsed on the spot that we stood upon, our chests heaving up and down in short yet full bursts as we tried to regain our lost energy.

As I tried to calm my pounding heart down to manageable levels, I sheathe back my katana filled with (fake) blood, reminding myself to wash it and try to perform at least the bare minimum of maintenance on it. After cutting through more or less twenty people by myself, I needed to pay attention whether or not there are minor nicks on the blade caused by bits of bone, blood, or guts stuck onto it.

I sighed. This is going to be a bit...troublesome, "Once again, I thank you for lending us your aid."

I blinked, turning towards the source of the sound behind me as I widened my eyes, finding the man that I had helped earlier bowing at me in thanks. The geisha that he was protecting was currently standing behind him, grasping the edge of his kimono as she looked at me with fearful eyes, "...No. I doubt that my sense of morals would let me stand by in a situation like that, so I had just weighed my options in order to see whether or not which choice was worthwhile."

"Still–"

"It is fine", I said as I closed my eyes and smiled, holding up a hand in order to stop the man from talking as I slowly stood up from my spot, "I only wanted to help due to my own selfish reasons, and thus unable to accept any kind of thanks from you. Now, if you may excuse me, I must return back to wandering, for I fear that the trouble that this incident caused would surely spread amongst the nearby villages."

I bow towards the man in front of me before I turned towards the building in front of me, the inn where I was supposed to stay in as a part of my backstory, "...Then, before I go, I would like to hear your name, brave soul."

"Yoshimoto Iza", the man said as he kept a respectful distance between me and the geisha, "Now that I have spoken my name, speak yours as well."

"Hachiman", I quickly replied, a look of trepidation crossing the man's eyes as he once again took a step back in order to try and defend his woman, "...I have no last name, for I am a ronin. I do recall saying that before I picked my sides in this scuffle."

"T-Then...May fortune be with you as the wind...Hachiman", Yoshimoto said, once again giving me another bow as I nodded in return, my feet moving me towards the building as I stopped on the threshold, just enough for me to hear the conversation between Yoshimoto and the geisha.

"Hachiman, he says...Do you think...?"

"The war god? Then why does he walk the earth, and why is he in substance?"

"We do not know that the logic of the gods, but if his words were to be true and he is searching for his family's killer...Then it would be better if we were not to associate with him any further."

I smirk, shaking my head as I finally enter the inn, albeit leaving the two a loud clank of my wooden slippers in order to inform them that I had been listening in on their little conversation. As applause begins to grow in intensity and the roars and cheers begin rising, I could only hold myself steady until I reach further past the hallway, wherein my legs finally collapse on me and I was left in a crumple of flesh and bone, a stupid smile on my face as the sound of the audience from behind me once again started to roar.

And thus, so goes my first experience in acting in a period play. And I am _definitely_ not doing it again.

[–|–]

"Ow!" I yelped, immediately cringing away from Nakamura who was grinning at me like I did something right, which by her standards, definitely didn't count, "What was that for, you witch!?"

"Just congratulating you for not passing out in the middle of the play", Nakamura said with her trademark grin plastered all over her face as if she was contented with life or something, "Still, who would've thought that they allowed you to be an actor after seeing your dead eyes?"

"I think that it's _because_ of my dead eyes that I get to play the part", I said with a sigh, "The Great Boddhisavatta Hachiman was renowned as a god of war, and if you've seen enough wars as a god, then you would most likely have those kind of dead eyes, like you've already seen what happens on a battlefield and you just wouldn't care anymore."

"If it wasn't that, then going by Hachiman's backstory of a ronin who was out for vengeance, well...let's see if you _won't_ have dead eyes just after your whole family was executed and you were the one that was forced to watch it", I said, idly fiddling around with the sheath of my katana as my face turned pensive, "...If he was an ordinary human, then he would've already gone mad. If he was a god, then he wouldn't even bat an eye...Two different sides, two different interpretations...Holy hell. This play was so much deeper than I originally thought it would be."

"Well, if Chiba pulled you into _that_ sort of thing, then I think that he's going to wring it out, for all it's worth", Mimura said with a wry smile on his face as he stared at me for a few seconds before he continued, "...By the way...you're not going to change?"

"That damn octopus made off with all my stuff and dumped it back at the inn", I said with a frown as my mind flashed back to the note that Korosensei had written in the changing room, "...Unfortunately, I'm stuck in this outfit until the end of the day. Had to wring out most of my souvenir budget just to pay for all of these as well...Damn that octopus. I'm going to make sure that I unload a full round of BB pellets into his damn face."

A cold fire blazed in my eyes as I smiled, already thinking of what punishments should I be doling out to that doujinshi fodder until I was snapped out of my trance by Sugaya, "Hikigaya, stop that already. You're creeping some people out with your smile."

"Well, I'm sorry if I could only smile that way", I shot back with a scowl as I drawled out a tired sigh, "...Let's just finish up our tour for now. And guessing by the fact that we haven't even received the reward yet, I'm just going to assume that our plans for today failed."

The rest of my groupmates nodded with forlorn expressions on their faces as I couldn't help but sigh at them, "...Look. It's not that it's necessarily a bad thing for us to miss our target for the first day, since we're still feeling things out with the sniper that the government hired–"

–A shrill sound rang through the air, the vestiges of a Pretty Cure song slowly being made clear to me as I widened my eyes and turned towards the source, seeing Nakamura hold out my phone towards me with a smug grin on her face, "Hachiman, your phone."

"Was that...Pretty Cure?" Mimura asked me in an inquisitive tone as I rolled my eyes at him, swiping my phone off Nakamura's outstretched hands and answered the call, putting it close to my ear so that no one in my group could hear who was calling me on the other side of the line.

"Yes, that's Pretty Cure, and yes, I'm a fan. Got any problem with that?" I said as I directed a pointed look at Mimura, who simply didn't bother asking anymore questions, "And who was the damn idiot who thought that it was a good idea to swipe my phone?"

Nakamura raised her hand as I gave another tired sigh, rolling my eyes at her as I let the line connect– " _Hikigaya-san!_ "

I winced, immediately pushing the phone away from me due to the sheer intensity of the sound that had just assaulted my ears. Still, I heard the voice on the other line, and I'm pretty sure that ten out of ten Hachimans would know who that voice is, "Nagisa? What happened?"

" _We ran into a little problem_ ", Nagisa said, trying to explain his current situation but the static made it harder to hear and comprehend his words, " _We were just touring around Gion when a group of high-schoolers showed up and kidnapped Kayano and Kanzaki-san–_ "

"Where are you?" I snapped, my voice coming out lower and more dangerous that I had expected as I could hear Nagisa flinch on the other line for a few seconds before he once again began talking.

" _We're at the entrance of one of Korosensei's 'abduction spots' that's close to Gion, but we're already thinking of barging inside since Karma's already rearing up for a fight–_ "

"I'm going there. Keep me updated on the situation", I snapped as I immediately closed the line, looking towards my groupmates to see them slightly distanced away from me, as if they were seeing something unpleasant. Well, I didn't care. For now, that is. I've got much more important things to do than play babysitter with six hormonally-addled kids, "...Anyone knows where the rest of the group is going for the next few hours?"

Most of my groupmates nodded, which was actually a good thing in my regard, "Thanks. Since everyone knows where they're going, I'm just going to go off on my own for a while. I need to...take care of something."

Curious and inquisitive glances were cast my way, but I was already moving in the direction of the place which Nagisa mentioned just a minute ago. I didn't give any kind of hints as to why I was actually going somewhere far away from my group, but the cold smile plastered on my face was enough to turn any questions away from me as I began to walk at a brisk pace across the streets of Kyoto.

I already told those damn idiots on the train to lay off my classmate. But if they still think that they were cocky enough to kidnap them out of all things and think they could hide from me, then my guess that they were all brain-dead idiots were true.

..When the god of war approaches after all, there's no choice to do but surrender.


	14. 13 - The Visage of the War God

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 13 – The Visage of the War God

* * *

Anyone who looked at me were scared off, taking a few steps away from my path in order to get away from me as quickly as possible as my mind was racing through all of the possible ways to reach my destination in the shortest time possible.

Unconsciously, my feet quickly turned another corner, my mind deciding on the route that I had chosen to take as my walking pace increased. Not enough for me to break into a full run, but could cover more distance than just walking normally, "Oi. What are you doing here, you brat?"

My eyes glanced towards the speaker who was standing in front of the building that the others were supposed to be in, a delinquent belonging to some kind of high school that I could care less about. In an instant, my katana (replica) was already out of its sheath, its (fake) blade caressing the delinquent's neck as he immediately froze in place, making the mistake of looking into my eyes as the overwhelming scent of urine immediately filled the air.

This is...unpleasant. A quick step forward, and I immediately slammed the hilt of my katana (replica) into the delinquent's nape, immediately knocking him out cold as I slammed his face against the building's wall for good measure. A second later after finding out I wasn't covered in that guy's piss, I grabbed his collar and started to drag him inside the building that he was standing around to protect. If the building was what I think it was, then that would've meant that Nagisa and the others were already inside...

...About time to make my grand entrance, then, "Here come the buddies that I called. They're badasses the likes of which you do-gooder brats have never seen before...Eh?"

"You mean that guy who just pissed himself upon seeing me?" I said, my voice frostier than a blizzard as I haphazardly tossed the unconscious body of this excuse of a delinquent as the rancid smell of urine once again filled the air, "...You're going to have to do more than that, you idiots."

"Hikigaya-san!" Nagisa said, immediately perking up as he turned towards me, his elated expression changing into a blank look as he tried his best to smile at me, "...Wait, just what are you wearing, exactly?"

"A kimono", I said, ignoring the weird stares that everyone gave me as I stepped into the light of this damp place, "I starred in a period play a while back, and Korosensei forced me to wear this for the rest of the day while he went off with my other clothes."

"Though..." I said, a smile forming upon my face as I unsheathed the katana around my waist and immediately took a stance, "...It's probably a good thing if they have a trauma against anyone wearing a damn kimono."

"Hikigaya–"

"Relax, it's just a replica. At most they'll just wake up with a few bruises to their faces", I said, a grin filled with unknown intent threatening to split my face into two as my voice took on a much colder tone, "Though...Since I'm sufficiently pissed, I'm going to have to go further than just a few bruises."

"You, you...! Just because you're an elite student–!" The thug that appeared to be the ringleader behind this whole thing apparently snapped out of his thoughts and charged at me with a speed that an ordinary middle-schooler wouldn't hope to match, but...

...All that he got in return was a katana (replica) swinging into his exposed left side, the sound of bones cracking immediately resounding through the air as the ringleader was nothing more than a ragdoll in response to the sickening force behind my swing, his screams of pain echoing throughout the air as he crumpled right at the spot where I had hit him.

"Next", I said, my voice cold and emotionless as my gaze glanced towards each and every single one of the delinquents around me, taking note of their numbers and their possible armaments as three of the delinquents now charged at me, with knives and bottles at the ready.

I ducked low, whirling around as my katana lashed out in a blur of silver, striking the first delinquent in the shin as the sound of bones cracking once again resounded through the air, the delinquent screaming in pain and dropping his knife. As much as I wanted to send this guy into the other side, I simply didn't have enough time to do so.

No rest for the wicked, after all.

I spun around in place, catching the surprised delinquent off-guard as his swing went wild, his bottle smashing the floor as it splintered into glass shards. All it took was a single quick jab through the nape with the hilt of my katana in order to knock him out, "Karma."

"On it", the red-headed devil said as a blur shot out from somewhere behind me, the sickening crunch of another delinquent's face being smashed against his knee as I slowly turned around and looked at the red-headed devil, "Woah, Hikigaya. You look like a demon right now. And for some reason I want to stay away as far from you as possible."

"Well, I guess I'm slightly unhinged for the moment", I said, a grin forming on my face as Karma coolly took a step back and let me face the oncoming tide of delinquents, "...Might as well make the most out of my short stint as a god of war."

My katana glinted an eerie silver as the rest of the delinquents finally snapped, rushing towards me with all of their weapons and attempting to overcome me with sheer numbers, "Making fun of us just because you're an elite school, huh!?"

"Elite...?" I said as my left eye twitched, finally snapping at these idiots' idiocy as I quickly brought my katana down to his hip, "You know, I've always been wondering, but are you seriously high school students? Just what kind of logic you idiots have to mess with someone just because they're supposedly 'elite'?"

I dodged a knife from one of the delinquents and kicked another in the groin. I ducked low in order to dodge a wild swing from a bottle, and with a single circular slash I made sure that they'd be using their arms to walk for a few weeks at best, "Though I believe that humanity is an idiot for letting the likes of you even join its ranks, the fact that you have survived until this day just tells something about natural selection, isn't it?"

"The weak are strong; the strong are weak", I said, a grin on my face as hacked my way through the delinquent horde with nothing more than a replica katana and the rest of my limbs. A delinquent had grabbed hold of the blade with a smug smirk on his face, but all he got for the trouble was nothing more than his nuts being crushed by a swift kick to the groin, his scream being silenced by a chop to his waist, "Those are Darwin's laws, and I'm pretty sure that an ingrate of you has heard of them, at least."

"But, the matter of being 'weak' and being 'strong' – or the matter of being 'elite' or not, only depends on whatever the people themselves think", I said, cutting another delinquent down with a single flash of silver light as I met the gazes of the delinquents' ringleader, my ice-cold gaze narrowing at him as he was immediately frozen in place, "If you see yourself as 'strong', then you are strong, no matter how weak your body is. If you see yourself as 'weak', then you see yourself as weak, even though your body is strong. Do you understand?"

My katana caught the slivers of light that had managed to sneak past the building's windows, glinting in an eerie silver as I showed its entire length towards the ringleader. Its blade was battered, with cracks running through its edges, it's once bright sheen now marred by the shadows of its surroundings and only standing out in the most concentrated of spots, glinting a brilliant light that served to blind others who saw it.

Now that I think about it, this blade was just like me, "...I'm not one that you would call 'strong'. I'm not one that you would call 'weak'. I am nothing more than an empty husk of a person with chaos in his heart and soul, living on nothing but borrowed principle. I have no dreams. I have no wants. But now, I'm starting to get the subtlest hints that I do."

Silver flashed, and the katana replica was already by the ringleader's throat, the high-school delinquent staring at me with absolute fear in his eyes as the rancid smell of urine once again filtered through the air like a disgusting stain.

"I admire those who drag others down to their own level, since it proves that they have the necessary intellect and skill in order to accomplish such a feat", my tone was cold and sharp, utterly devoid of human emotions like 'fear' or 'anger' as I pressed the katana's blade closer to his throat, "...But, your mentality in doing so only proves that you are all idiots. If you wanted to do something about this complexes of yours, then do it yourself. If you want something to fix, don't fix the world around you – it's hopeless to change society because the cogs are already set in place. If you want something to fix, then fix your own, goddamned, self. Though, this is just me rambling about your idiocy. After all..."

A grin formed on my face as my eyes glinted with a malicious glee, "...Dead men aren't supposed to talk."

The only thing that resounded through the air after that was the delinquents' ringleader collapsing in his own pool of urine. Ugh. Simply disgusting. Common sense would dictate that you move away from your own puddle of urine _before_ you lapse into unconsciousness but...Oh well. I _was_ talking to an idiot after all, so it made sense that he would do such an idiotic thing.

I _might_ need to give whatever I'm wearing right now a good scrubbing later, though. Damn it, there goes my souvenir wear... "Hikigaya-san."

My katana was already sheathed as I sighed and turned towards the rest of the group that I had helped out earlier, my eyes not failing to notice the hulking mass of yellow that seemed to be trying his best to hide beyond the alcove leading to this place, "...What?"

"Oh", Nagisa said, visibly heaving a sigh of relief as smiled at me, "...Nothing. I was just thinking that you might've turned into a monster halfway during the whole 'beating up the delinquents' scene that I can't help but worry."

I'm sure that you are worried, but guessing from the little barbs that you've been sending to me from just that one sentence, you seem to be more inclined with verbally assaulting me rather than making small talk, "I'm perfectly fine, I assure you. All of my stress was gone the moment that I was done beating up those wastes of oxygen."

"...Then why do I feel like you're still not done with whatever you're planning on doing?" Nagisa shot a deadpan at me as I simply smirked at him and snorted at his remark.

"See you back at the inn", I said, waving once at the rest of Nagisa's group as I made my way out of the building, a thin smile forming on my face as I stopped and turned around, seeing Korosensei who was staring at me with his two main tentacles folded over his chest, staring at me with his usual yellow color.

I sigh. This is going to be a bit hard to explain, isn't it? "Hikigaya-kun."

"...Sorry, sensei", I said, glancing off towards the setting sun as I couldn't help but grit my teeth, "I...lost control."

"That you did", the octopus said as he nodded sagely at me, "...What happened, Hikigaya? This isn't like you. The ordinary you should've known that I would've come running at Mach 20 the moment that I heard that Kanzaki-san and Kayano-san were kidnapped by a bunch of high-schoolers."

"I knew that, but I..." I stop, the words that were supposed to come out of my mouth not even manifesting themselves as vibrations of my vocal cords as I could only sigh once again, "...It's weird. This...all of this...If I just reined in my emotions at that time, then no one would've been hurt..."

Korosensei sighed, placing a tentacle on top of my shoulder as I blinked at him in confusion, "Hikigaya. It's only natural to feel angry over one of your friends being kidnapped. Now, I agree that you could've handled your anger better, but you're still young; you could still–"

"Sensei", I said, cutting into the octopus' lines as I stared at his blank, beady eyes, "I...don't have friends. No...I guess you could say that I don't _want_ to have friends. This...feeling, this anger...I-I don't want this sensei. If being friends with someone means having to control something like this, then I..."

Friends. Finally, my mind had been able to completely understand every single meaning of the word for me to use it in conversation. But of course, understanding is based out of inference, and since all the knowledge that I had of friendship was in my previous years and the few strands that I currently have right now, I'm not exactly the type of person to consult for friendship.

In my perspective, the thing known as 'friendship' is nothing more than a give-and-take relationship. One part gives something that the other part wants, and the other party is bound by an invisible contract to reciprocate. This contract lasts as long as both parties are interested in the resources that the other party holds, and thus this thing known as 'friendship' is only good for short-term uses, when both parties are still interested in each other's goods before the contract is abruptly cut off.

But this...What I had experienced earlier; the simmering rage that I had felt when Fuwa insinuated that I was only after Nakamura's body, my mind finally grinding to a halt when Nagisa had told me that Kanzaki-san had been kidnapped...There had been some sort of 'attachment' towards them. After all, if it were simply a give-and-take relationship with the two of them, then I wouldn't have snapped in anger at what Fuwa and those delinquents had said and done. This sort of 'attachment'...was something not completely alien to me.

I had Komachi. I was more or less sort of 'attached' towards her by virtue of being her older brother, but the sort of 'attachment' that I felt towards both Nakamura and Kanzaki was different. It wasn't the familial kind of attachment that forced you to care out of obligation, but it was the kind of connection that one could sever all at once – an easily fragile bond that was as brittle as glass.

But still, I had chosen to keep it. I had chosen to keep these connections because of some reason that I couldn't understand back then. But now...I do. I was 'attached' to them; attached to the two people who were the first ones who made me step out of my shell and put a tentative step forward in the right direction. Attached to the two of them who had broken through my shell of apathy and showed me my faults; painstakingly used their time in order to try and mold me into a better person.

This sort of 'attachment' was enough to cloud my judgment, to completely take over whatever ounce of logic that I had inside of me at the mention of those two possibly getting hurt. And that feeling of losing control scared me. What if something _actually_ happened to them? Would I lose my mind and just go berserk when I learn that one of them had been hurt, and go on a roaring rampage of revenge and vengeance like what I had done earlier? Would I actually give into the bloodlust inside my head and spare no mercy for all of the parties involved?

...Would I _kill_ others just so I could keep this lingering form of 'attachment'? "Hikigaya."

My thoughts were dissolved as I snapped out of my stupor, turning towards the first being that I had trusted after my transfer into this new school, "I don't know how long you've been trying to live without any kind of social interaction, but...I can only say this."

"...Don't think that such a thing as friendship is too much of a reward for you", Korosensei said as his tentacle's grip on my shoulder grew tighter, "Sure, your friends might leave you. Sure, your friends might possibly betray and leave you for another. But still, the memories are there – all the times that you had shared with them, your thoughts, your feelings, and your emotions...All of them aren't fake. You're the one observing them after all, so they are _real_ – more genuine that you can ever imagine. What matters most isn't the end of your friendship – all friendships must end sooner or later, for that is an inevitable fact of this world. No, what matters most is the memories that you make with them – experiences. Abstract things for sure – subjective things for sure – but they are the ones that are most genuine in this world. Trust me on this, Hikigaya. _Please._ "

It was the first time. The first time that this artificial creature – this super being who can travel at Mach 20, bowed. The yellow octopus that had transferred in at the start of the school year and casually told everyone to assassinate him was _bowing._ A sign of ultimate humility – a sign that he had bitten back his pride and lowered his head in order for the other party to know the complete sincerity in his words, no matter how the other party might see such a thing, "Don't throw away one of your greatest chances at friendship just because you're too scared to take another step forward, Hikigaya. You were the one that said it yourself, right? That you're going to be the one that's going to be pushing himself forward."

Memories floated through my mind, ones that came from my past. But they were not from one of those times during my second year and back, wherein I was constantly harassed by others who wanted nothing more than to step on me in order to climb up the metaphorical social ladder. No, what I saw were recent memories – memories of the days that I had spent as a student of class 3-E in Kunugigaoka Junior High School. That first day of school, that time in the convenience store, that time in the infirmary, that time in the game store, that time in Saize, that time in my apartment...hell, even the various memories from the train ride and up until now flashed through my eyes. It might've looked like I was already preparing for my death, but it technically wasn't.

Sure, I was dying, with the 'I' pronoun being used as a pronoun for my past self – the one who had the vestiges of the anti-social man who can't help but continuously read between the lines and suspect others of having hidden motives. The one who had no faith in other people except himself, and used all the tools in his disposal in order to make himself untouchable. But in truth, that man was just scared – scared that in one way or another, in some time or another, that he would once again let down his guard, allowing someone to sneak through his walls, and slowly crush his heart from within. A cycle that he knew all too well, and a cycle that he swore to not to repeat again, but he knew deep within that he would inevitably fall into the same trap all over again.

That man was dead. What now lived inside of him was a new soul, forged and tempered through chaotic circumstances that were shaped by the blacksmith more commonly known as doujinshi fodder. Well, him and a few other people that I probably should mention, but shouldn't for the sake of my reformed sanity.

"Sensei..." I said, staring at Korosensei as the latter immediately drew back in shock, sending him a smile that seemed far more genuine that what my old self could've ever given, "...Thank you."

Just as the octopus started stuttering due to seeing my expression, my smile simply grew wider as the intent of my smile changed ever-so slightly. Sure, I was still incredibly grateful for the octopus and all, but still... "Also, Korosensei..."

A second passed before I abruptly ended the supposedly melancholic mood in the air by smoothly bringing out a BB gun from one of the folds in my kimono, trying my best to gun the damn octopus down as my rage reared its ugly head, but this time for a completely different reason, "PAY ME BACK FOR THE COST OF THIS COSTUME YOU DAMN OCTOPUS!"

The cracks that came out from the barrel of the air gun was enough deterrent for the octopus to ever try stealing my stuff again. But seriously...Wasn't he supposed to learn his lesson when I gunned him down before for taking my beloved Vita-chan?

[–|–]

Evening. And I was completely, and absolutely bored out of my wits. And so here I was, the new Hikigaya Hachiman, prowling around the hallways of the inn that we were staying in as if I was nothing more than a disgraceful stalker at his work environment.

Of course, I wasn't exactly stalking anyone at all, so everything is just fine and dandy here at the inn.

I turned another corner, seeing Nagisa, Sugino, Okajima, Fuwa, and Nakamura glancing around a wooden sliding door with determined expressions on their faces. I was about to approach them in order to investigate their suspicious when I suddenly noticed the writing above their heads, written in blue fabric and spelled out clearly and cleanly in large, block-like letters.

'Men's Bathroom' it said.

...Slowly, I inched my way out of the corner and immediately turned around in the other direction, my mind immediately asking questions that I could not answer for the moment as I quickly made my way across the halls at a brisk pace, my aim being the place wherein I was supposed to sleep with the rest of the guys in my class.

A few minutes later, I finally arrived at my destination, finding a Korosensei who was currently hunched over a notepad and was writing something...a quick look over his shoulder proved that I was right; the damn bastard was taking down notes to use for blackmail. Seriously, this damn octopus _just_ won't stop gossiping around, "Korosensei."

"Hyaah!?" The octopus immediately screamed in surprise as he perked up and faced towards me, trying to hide the notepad that he held within his two main tentacles as I simply stared at him blankly for a few seconds, before sighing and sliding the door to the men's room open.

My arrival brought on the immediately stares of the entire male population of the E-Class (save for Nagisa, Okajima, Sugino, and Karma), whose surprised gazes immediately turned into one of malicious curiosity as the mood in the air immediately forced me to choke on my own saliva and immediately take a step back on instinct.

...This is bad. Everywhere I go, I seem to be beset by these damn gazes. Just what the hell do I need to do in order to turn them away!? "Ah, Hikigaya, perfect timing! We wanted to ask you some questions, so just take a seat somewhere around the room or something."

What the hell, this is just an interrogation then, isn't it!? Stop hiding behind your facades of curiosity and just attack me with those malicious stares, damn it! Anyone looking into the room could see what's happening as clear as day, so just drop the act and start tormenting me already!

I sighed, massaging my temples due to the paper-thin veneer of hate directed at me as I situated myself at the point in the room wherein it was easiest for me to open the door and run away, "...Alright. What are you guys supposed to ask me?"

"Who do you like?"

"No one."

I knew it. No matter what age we are in, it seems that hormone-addled teenagers just think of the same thing. Women. Makes me despair at the thought that we're supposed to be the apex predators of the current ecosystem. I cry everytime.

"I-I see..." Isogai said as I wait Isogai why the hell are _you_ the one asking me these kinds of questions!? I thought you were the one above the influences of teenage hormones around here, you know!? I trusted you! And just for the record, I don't usually trust people right of the bat, you know!? "T-Then Hikigaya-san, if you're interested in someone in the class, who is it?"

...You're assuming that I'm actually interested in someone. But I guess, I am, "...Hayami-san, I guess."

"Woah, he just admitted it right then and there, you know."

"Three-timer? Is Hikigaya one of those renowned playboys? Is he finally passing the two-timer mark and going to be a three-timer?"

"Shut it Maehara, you're not any better."

"I am! At the very least I can't even get Kanzaki-san interested in me, you know!"

"""Huh!?"""

"First it was Nakamura, second it was Kanzaki, then he's going for Hayami for the third one!?"

"Chiba! How do you feel about this!?"

"Hikigaya", Sugino said, suddenly appearing in front of me with everything but a friendly smile on his face as I noticed that his fists were already balled up and ready to go at any time and woah I think I just avoided a strike to my face there...And another. And another, and another, and another, and another – "Stop moving around you damn idiot!"

"Maybe if you just let me speak instead of trying to pummel me with your fists, then maybe we'd get somewhere with this!" I screamed back, an annoyed grunt escaping out of my mouth as another choreographed punch tried to hit me in my stomach, but I quickly sidestepped and used his momentum in order to pin him on the ground and put him in a lock, "...Alright, I get it that you're infatuated with Kanzaki, but hold in those damn hormones and try to think logically about this, will you? Just what the hell would I do in order to make Kanzaki interested in me, anyway?"

"I don't know Hikigaya, you're the one that technically saved her and Kayano from those delinquents, after all", Karma's voice echoed throughout the air of the room as he stepped into the killing floor, "Who wouldn't be interested in their savior, anyway?"

"Oh, a _lot_ of people", I said, a sigh escaping my lips as I stood up and released my lock on Sugino, turning towards the rest of my male classmates as I gave them a cold glare, "...And if you think that I'm three-timing or something like me being interested in Hayami, I'm going to warn you now: don't piss me off."

I opened the door as I kept my gaze at the rest of the males, slowly closing the door in my wake as I sighed in relief and turned towards in front of me–

–Only to meet Nakamura, who was apparently a confirmed pervert as she took a long sniff out of my current clothes– Wait! "Oi."

"Ah, sorry", Nakamura said, immediately shoving me backward with a quick push from her hands as a thin smile formed on her face, "I'm just wondering whether or not you're the same Hachiman that I know since that smile on your face is too natural for me to ease up around you."

I couldn't help but scowl at her, using my hands at the same time to check if I was smiling, and indeed I was, "...Well, I'm sorry if my smile looks horrible, but the last time that I can remember smiling was when I was in second grade–"

"It looks good on you, that smile", Nakamura said, taking another step back as she gazed at me with a thin smile on her face, and my instincts told me that what I was seeing as of the moment was a genuine smile from the individual known as Nakamura Rio, "...Yeah. It really does look good on you, Hachiman."

"Spare me the flattery, and just tell me what you came here for", I said as a teasing grin came over Nakamura's face.

"Oho, and what makes you think that I came here just for you?" She said in a teasing tone as I couldn't help but frown at her in the process. Seriously you witch, just who do you think puts up with you and all your pranks? "...Not going to cut it, huh?"

"You know me so well", I replied sarcastically as Nakamura scowled at me in response.

"Can it Hachiman", she said as she snapped at me, and I couldn't help but smile at her as she took a deep sigh to calm myself down, "...Fine, I'll play your game. Can we talk somewhere private?"

I raised an eyebrow at Nakamura, who simply avoided my curious expression by staring out into the hallway, making me sigh in response as I couldn't help but smile at the blonde-haired woman before me.

" _You're going to be taking that step forward by yourself, right?"_

Korosensei's words once again echoed through my ears as I simply nodded in response to her request, shaking my head about the futility of trying to stop this woman who was the force of nature embodied as she led me around the inn with – curiously – her hand latching onto mine.

I sighed for the third time in a single minute. To be frank, this woman would be the death of me sooner or later...But I severely underestimated my remaining lifespan when I'm with her.

* * *

Omake – Girl's side

* * *

The girls of the class 3-E were currently discussing their preferences in boys, in the same way that that boys were doing the reverse. Most of the girls were arranged haphazardly around the main speaker, but all chatter completely stopped when they heard something unbelievable coming from the class idol Kanzaki Yukiko.

Simply put, it was summarized into the words "I am interested in Hikigaya Hachiman".

Outrage immediately went through the ranks of the females in an instant as they stared at Kanzaki with nothing more than utter shock written on their faces. Hikigaya Hachiman? Who was he? He was the quiet man who was taller than Terasaka, but seemed to emit no kind of presence whatsoever. The rest of them thought that he was just some ordinary transfer student that had the bad luck of ever associating with the E-Class, but it seemed that he didn't mind. Plus, they actually doubted as to whether or not his real job was actually a student.

After all, he took down Karasuma-sensei in no less than three tries, and has been victorious ever since then, and there were some rumors that Hikigaya was actually the one who had blown off Korosensei's entire right arm, but most didn't believe the rumormongers. After all, the octopus moved at Mach 20 – what chance do they have in order to hit him, when he could just dodge any and all kinds of bullets that were coming his way?

Still, he was quite a bit good-looking on the physical side, but the main problem was that almost no one had ever talked to him and ever found out about his true personality. He was keen on not having conversations with other people, and sometimes he manages to be completely invisible even though he was just right under their noses. This meant that the only way they could get any information about him was through the only person that he constantly interacts with, and that was with Nakamura.

Sadly though, the blonde wasn't here, leading the other girls with nothing more than speculation to chew on as they constantly bombarded Kanzaki with questions such as how did she become interested in him in the first place.

"He came in along with the others to rescue us in a kimono while wielding a replica sword. If there isn't anyone interested as to why he was wearing that kind of clothing, then it would mean that no one has good taste."

They saw his grades. To be honest the rest of the girls didn't know _how_ Hikigaya had gotten the number one spot in the entirety of Japan with his midterm scores by just having one mistake, just knew that it meant that he was incredibly smart, even though he always seemed to be asleep whenever classes are in session. Which probably meant that he was actually paying attention to Korosensei's lessons, just not in a way that they would expect.

Did Kanzaki out of all people like the enigmatic young man? "Well, I wouldn't say that I 'like' him per se, because that means that I'm romantically interested in him. It's not that I see him that way, it's just that...I don't know what the other boys would do to him if word got out of this."

...Wait. Did the class idol show _that_ much affection for Hikigaya that she was willing to take the back row for the moment in order to make sure that he lives his life unbound by any problems?

Some girls closed their eyes, while others simply looked away and imitated gagging sounds. _This girl is so pure_ , they thought, _the love is so pure that it's burning away all of the impurities in this world. Hikigaya, just what have you done in order to deserve_ this _kind of affection?_

"Well, if Kanzaki-san's interested, then there might be a little bit of a problem", Fuwa said, bringing her head back from the window after the whole fiasco with Kanzaki's purity, pointing out the window as every single girl immediately abandoned their post and looked outside, "...Quite possibly a big problem."

In the back courtyard of the inn, Hikigaya and Nakamura sat close to each other – most likely due to the cold – while simply looking up at the night sky. They looked comfortable with each other, shooting thin smiles at the night sky while sipping some hot tea in the process. So comfortable that some of the girls immediately misunderstood what was happening and thought that the two were having a tryst, when Nakamura was just ranting at Hikigaya while the latter was doing his best to tune her out.

"Kanzaki-san..." Fuwa said with the smile of a predator as she stared at her two classmates who were currently in the courtyard, "...It looks like you have some competition."


	15. 14 - Normalcy

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 14 – Normalcy

* * *

The floorboards underneath us creaked under our feet, giving way with each and every step that we take as the two of us slowly went through the hallways of the inn, coming across an old and quaint courtyard that had been affected by the ravages of time. Moss covered stones lined up the path towards an old and broken fountain, where the water had stopped flowing and was simply gathering in a small pool that trickled towards the drain. The pond beside it was almost dried up, except it still had some small fishes swimming about it, giving nothing but a care in the world.

"Hachiman, over here", Nakamura said, who was already sitting on the boundary that separated the inn and the courtyard as she idly tapped her hand towards the space beside her. I could only shrug at her gesture as I took my place by her side, making sure that I curl myself up into a ball in order to protect myself against the chilly wind that seemed to waft in from time to time. Seriously though, isn't it supposed to turn into summer time soon?

Silence reigned between the two of us for a short while as I let Nakamura gather her thoughts, while I simply listened and took in everything about the quaint little courtyard as I couldn't help but sigh in contentment. Ruins sure do have some kind of aesthetic value to them, aren't they? "Hachiman."

Nakamura spoke, and I quickly glanced towards her as I saw her gaze move downward, towards the slippers that she had refused to take off even though it was dangling at the threshold between the inn and the courtyard, "...Are we friends?"

I smile, already making peace with myself over that matter as I turned back to staring at the ruins of the courtyard, "...Yeah."

"...I see", she said, her voice blank as the world once again plunged into silence. But this was the kind of silence that was comfortable, wherein even if no words were shared between us; our intents still reached each other even though our mouths were closed. Is this one of the perks of having a friend, I wonder? "Then...I guess I'm going to have to say sorry."

I blinked, my thoughts mixing into my words as they were expelled in one single breath? "Sorry? What the hell do you have to say sorry for?"

"...The fiasco back at your apartment."

"Oh, that was sort of my mistake, I guess", I said, a little grimace forming on my face as I tried to laugh it off, which obviously did not work on the witch beside me, "...No, this isn't my inferiority complex talking, alright? I seriously thought that it was my mistake. I mean, I knew that you didn't want the bonnet back per se, but my trust in everyone and everything was in the negatives so I only thought that you were materialistic back then...I guess that's why I needed to apologize to you about that–"

"You don't understand, do you?" Nakamura said as she shot a bitter smile at me, cutting off my words as I could only stare at her in surprise and the slightest hint of curiosity, "...That happened during a Sunday. We were supposed to have that study session during Saturday, remember? Ever thought about what happened back then?"

My mind raced through it neural links, trying to search for every kind of information that I could gouge out of my brain during that Saturday. A few minutes later with my search all done, and all that I could find was – "Nothing, isn't it?"

I blink, glancing towards Nakamura with curiosity written in my gaze, "...How do you know about that?"

The witch simply sighed at my words in response, a pensive expression forming on her face as she thought about something for a few moments and answered me, a determined expression written in her blue eyes, "Well, if you don't want to take my word for it, then I guess I'll put up with you, but I'll only say this once, so pay attention, Hachiman."

She took a deep breath before she continued, "...We met up on that Saturday."

...What? "The reason why you can't remember anything about that day was because I knocked you out. Hit you on the back of your head so that your memories came flying off towards the horizon...It wasn't the most mature reaction that I could make back then, but emotion pulled me into the rage, and...Well, it's actually the main reason why I'm apologizing to you right now."

Questions started to ramp up in intensity during the course of this entire conversation as I couldn't help but let my mind whirl around due to the sheer number of questions that my mind wanted to ask as of the moment, but my thoughts were cleared by Nakamura simply frowning at me and poking my cheeks with a pout on her face.

Seriously. Women, "Hachiman. Listen to me when I'm saying something important."

"The questions that I want to ask are filling up my head right now, so it's better to answer them quickly before I go explode in a shower of guts", I deadpan as Nakamura smirked at me as she jabbed at my shoulder. It stung.

"Keep that tone down around me Hachiman. You _know_ that I'm going to answer your questions whether you like it or not", Nakamura said with a scowl as she sighed at me a second later, "...Well, I'll just tell you all that happened on Saturday, and you tell me whether or not it's a pile of bull. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Yeah, that's what I thought", Nakamura smirked at me, "In any case, the study session happened, I'm slowly getting better at my studies, but that isn't necessarily the point. What I'm saying is that from the start of the study session until its very end, I didn't see you wear your bonnet that you always stupidly put on every time you go to school. So, being the curious little bugger that I was, I asked away."

"And so? I'm pretty sure I would've evaded that question as long as I stay alive."

"Hehe, I eventually got you trapped until you were forced to spill the truth, so there's no evading the question anymore", Nakamura said, her tone quickly dropping into one of melancholy as she sighed and looked away from me, "...That's how I knew all about your supposed 'date' with Kanzaki-san, and how she got your bonnet. You don't need to hide it anymore Hachiman, I already knew about it."

"...I see."

"Yeah", Nakamura said, a sigh escaping from her lips as she fiddled with her fingers with a frown on her face, "...After that, I got angry. You know, since you could've just told me all about it when I asked you the first time instead of dodging the question...Plus, with the fact that you valued Kanzaki-san's trust over mine, I might've misunderstood some things..."

"So you knocked me on the head, left me back at my apartment with a bad case of amnesia, and went back on a Sunday to make sure that I was fine", I finished for her as a thin smirk formed on my face, "...And guessing that it's me, it means that it backfired. Horribly. Thus resulting into...whatever happened before and everything between it until we're here."

"Pretty much", Nakamura said, the melancholy never disappearing from her face as she glanced towards me, her eyes filled with doubt and hope at the same time, "...I've heard from Korosensei as to what happened earlier. Hachiman...I'm worried about you."

"That I noticed", I said as I furrowed my brows, my mind clearly indulging my darker thoughts by flashing the memories of my rampage once again in my mind, "It was kind of the main reason why I was so hesitant about this 'friend' thing. If I reacted like _that_ just from hearing that Kanzaki's been kidnapped...I can't help but wonder what I would do if I found out that _you_ were the one that got hurt."

"...You're nice to a fault, Hachiman", Nakamura said as she shot a bitter smile in my direction, "I...I'm not as nice as you are. I'm what you would call an incredibly selfish person."

"So now _you're_ the one thinking that you shouldn't be friends with me", I said with a sigh as I hung my head low, taking off my slippers as I placed them on top of the inn's wooden floorboards, planting my feet solidly on the mossy stones that made up the path to the courtyard as I stood up, "...It kind of feels like our situation's been reversed."

"Tell me about it. _Please_ ", Nakamura said as she shot me another bitter smile, her sarcasm dripping with every word as I could help but sigh and shake my head, separating myself from her as I took two steps towards the fountain at the center of the ruined courtyard, staring up at the night sky as the vast cacophony of starlight immediately engraved itself into my mind.

"Well, have some tea for now. It's going to be a long night", I said, tossing Nakamura a warm can of tea as she quickly caught it with her hands, staring at me with a quizzical look on her face as I took my own warm can of MAXX Coffee and took a sip of it, "...First of all, every human is selfish. That includes me. People don't help other people for free, unless you're someone named Emiya Shirou and I'm pretty sure you're not that person, but I digress – everything is a give-and-take relationship between people, with some lasting more than others, with some lasting for about a second before both parties turn on each other and try to stab each other in the gut."

"Trying to act cool now, Hikigaya? Trying to emulate Korosensei?"

"You out of all people would know that I'm the furthest thing from that octopus, physical distinction aside", I said as I took another sip out of my coffee. Hm, sweet, "And yes, I'm trying to act cool, so don't ruin it by pointing it out, thank you very much."

"Want a shoulder to cry on?"

"Hell no."

"I had expected as much, but hearing you say it makes it really painful."

"Then don't try to ask me in the first place", I deadpan as I couldn't help but sigh at our current circumstances, "...In any case, the fact that all humans are selfish means that relationships between humans don't last very long. To be frank, I'm thinking of going back to Chiba for my high school. Sure, there's a lot of memories there – ones that I'd rather forget, but then again I'd like to show those bastards who they're dealing with now."

"Well, we're going a bit off-topic, I guess, but what I want to hammer in your mind right now is that maybe this friendship of ours won't last forever", I said, eliciting a frown from Nakamura as I gazed at her directly, her blue eyes immediately being locked towards my gaze, "...But, it's not like you should despair over the endpoint. It's already going to be known anyway, so the main reason is _how_ you spend that remaining time of your friendship."

Alright, I'm ripping off lines from what Korosensei said a while back, but then again, she's facing the same thing as me, so who cares? Hikigaya Hachiman is Hikigaya Hachiman, and damn that soul to hell if he doesn't do what he wants, "For me, I just want these days to pass on like normal. Maybe meet a few interesting individuals. Maybe find out more about existing friends of mine. Maybe assassinating that damn octopus in order to save the world, but I'm not really interested about the reward. Still, all that I want to do as of the moment is to just live life like an ordinary middle-schooler, since my chance was deprived the moment I started going to my former school."

"Hikigaya..."

"...Though, considering your kind of personality, I doubt you'd want me to just idle away in life like I want. You're a witch, after all", I said, shooting a smile in Nakamura's direction as she froze up in shock, blinking at me for a few seconds before I continued, "You'd want me to fully share my past with others. You'd want me forming bonds with them so that I could have someone to rely on just in case I'm in a pinch in the future. You'd want to drag me around all over the place and make me realize that everything that I had believed over the past two months that I shut myself inside my room is wrong, and to be honest, I'm not going to stop you from doing that. Everything's better with a hyperactive friend beside you, after all."

"At this point, I don't know whether or not you're praising me, or actually insulting me right to my face."

"For all of time, witches always need familiars, for that is the stereotypical way", I said, a smirk forming on my face as I glanced towards Nakamura with a glint in my eyes, "...Even if you're prone to switching out your familiars in the future, you can believe that your draconic familiar known as Hikigaya Hachiman would always be with you – in your memories or not."

"Heh", Nakamura said, a laugh coming out of her lips as she quickly put up a hand in order to cover it up. Though, seeing that I was already grinning at her like an idiot, she could only bury her face in her hands as I could notice her ears turning red. Ha, serves you right, you witch! Now you feel what I feel when you put me through the wringer! "...Hachiman, you're just playing unfair now, aren't you?"

"I'd rather think of it as something like 'revenge' though", I said with a shrug as the dam inside me finally burst, with pure unadulterated laughter coming out of my mouth as my voice could be heard throughout the whole courtyard, making Nakamura curl up into a ball out of embarrassment as I laughed for a few more seconds before I finally wiped the tears that were forming at the edges of my eyes with a contented sigh. That...That was fun.

"Hachiman", Nakamura-ball said as I raised an eyebrow at her. Guessing that I had already completely relieved myself of all of the stress that I accumulated up until this day, it was just my karma to make sure that I suffer for it as soon as possible, "...Your laugh isn't funny."

"I know."

[–|–]

The two of us stared each other, our gaze holding on for more than a second as I sighed and averted my gaze first, turning around and walking off towards the boy's room in order to ignore her existence for the moment. However, it seems that she can't take a hint, given that she already had a vice grip on my kimono and was _seriously_ unwilling to let it go, "...What is it?"

"A girl's asking you to a walk, and the first thing that you do is to try and get away from her", Kanzaki's voice filtered through my ears as I glanced to my side, seeing her amber eyes glinting maliciously at me as I sighed at her and tried to accomplish my original objective of escaping away from this witch, "...Hikigaya, did your parents ever teach you a scrap of manners?"

"They said that it doesn't apply to women who aim to casually waltz in and try to wreck your life as a whole", I deadpanned back as the slightest smirks formed on Kanzaki's face, leaning closer towards me in order to capitalize my personal space as I quickly leaned away from her.

As things were right now, I might be in trouble. If someone were to see the both of us in this kind of position, then it would certainly mean trouble for us. Well, technically for me, since she doesn't care about other people's opinions right now, so it means that _I'm_ going to be screwed over if I let things happen as they are now, "...Get off."

"Your instincts are always spot-on eh, Hikigaya?" Kanzaki said with a leering expression on her face as she quickly separated from me and dusted her clothes, a thin smile forming on her face as her amber eyes glimmered with an unearthly sheen, "...Well, enough teasing from you. I just want to talk for a bit. May I?"

"No."

"...Do you really think that socializing with me is a pain?"

"Frankly, yes", I said, rolling my eyes at her as I let out an exasperated sigh and glared at her, "What do you want, Kanzaki? I'm not exactly in a very good mood as you can see right now – I just had an amazing discovery that I made just a few moments earlier, and seeing you right now is putting a damper for all of my enthusiasm."

"The female body is more erogenous than you expected?"

I blankly stared at the woman – no, _witch_ in front of me, wondering as to how the hell had she known the fact herself as my dark, soulless eyes bore deep into hers, causing her amber gaze to be deflected off towards a rather interesting piece of the wall (or so she believed).

"Yeah, that's what I thought", I snidely remarked as I started to walk away from her, but once again she used the moment to latch onto my clothes. Oi woman, do that a few more times and I might think that you're a special infected, alright, "...What is it now?"

"...Thank you."

I blink. Wait, she can express her thanks? Wow, that's a new discovery. Might want to take note of that so I can use it in the future, "Is that all? If so, I'm leaving–"

"Wait!" Once again, the woman latches onto my clothes. Seriously, what is wrong with you!? At least Nakamura has some sense of space, you know!? "Hikigaya, a beautiful girl's thanking you for saving her, and you're not even batting an eye!?"

My eye twitched, "You don't call yourself that. Now excuse me for a second because I need to catch up on some long-lost sleep–"

"Why are you ignoring me, Hikigaya?" Kanzaki said, her voice immediately turning cold as I rolled my eyes and glanced at her, seeing her amber eyes trying to drill a hole through me, "I...admit that I did some unsavory things in order to try and drive you and Nakamura apart, but–"

"You literally just gave your own reason as to why am I avoiding you", I said with an annoyed sigh as I glared at her, "And for the most part, you're right. I won't ask you your motives – I could find that by myself minus all the hassle. What I _do_ care about – much more than _you_ do – is that you tried to drive me and my friend apart. And if I notice you doing the same thing again..."

"...I won't be as merciful as this time", I finished, my tone growing dark at the end as I quickly shook her hand off me and walked back towards the men's room at a brisk pace. Sure, it might've looked like I threatened her or something – no, actually, I _did_ threaten her in order to dissuade her from doing something that stupid again, but I didn't expect her to just stare at me with a catatonic expression on her face. Was she supposed to incite guilt inside of me? Well...I'm more tougher than I look.

"Hikigaya!" A voice screamed out my name as I stopped in my tracks, glancing towards the direction of the voice as what the hell is the entire male population doing here!? "Did you see Korosensei around here somewhere!?"

"Uh...no", I said, scratching my cheek as I looked upon the crowd, seeing something akin to a modernized version of torches and pitchforks, "...So, what did that octopus do now?"

"That bastard was snooping in on our conversation while were talking about what types of girls we like!" Maehara said, his anger noticeable up until where I was as I couldn't help but grimace and slowly take a few steps back away from him, "So, Hikigaya, you can sense Korosensei whenever he's near, right!? Help us!"

Yes, I have a special (lol) ability (lol) of mine to track the yellow octopus down wherever he goes (thanks in part to him leaving his tracks all around the place), and I commend your intelligence and knowledge for immediately realizing that I am an invaluable asset to your cause, but I must decline. You must acknowledge and train in your own skills, in order to make sure that you are ready for the rigors of society!

"No."

"Ah, I see..." Maehara said as he shot me a bitter smile, before turning back towards the rest of the boys as he raised his arm that held a rubber knife, "Still! If we were to simply give up because of this setback, then we wouldn't call ourselves 'men'! We can still do this, even if we are one – nay, twelve men down, for this is our pride! Our will continues to live on even if our quest fails, so let us strengthen our bonds once again and charge into the field of battle!"

As the rest of the boys cheered and caused another stampede throughout the halls of the inn, I could only shoot a point towards shounen manga as I shook my head and went on a slight detour, a direction wherein the other boys wouldn't even notice nor touch as I arrived a few minutes later in front of a relatively old wooden sliding door.

Needless to say, I was stopped from opening the door using a bunch of tentacles that flew at Mach 20, immediately wrapping against my mouth and thus sealed my ability to speak as the wooden door in front of me opened and I was thrust inside the room, immediately falling onto the lap of the one figure that I didn't want to see right now as I couldn't help but grimace at the sight in front of me.

Author-san. Turn up the rating to M please. I think the readers wouldn't like me being sodomized by tentacles– "Hikigaya-kun, though I find it interesting that your guesses in my location are so spot-on, may I ask you to keep quiet for now? I'm recording something interesting here, so it's much better for you to just listen in."

As the octopus removed a tentacle from my mouth (thank God for that, seriously), I started to have the impulse to scream as loud as I could possibly can, but my mouth was immediately snapped shut due to the topics that came from my surroundings.

Indeed, for Korosensei to have snuck me into what was obviously a girl's talk and remain hidden and silent all through it all...I was starting to get the feeling that I should respect the man (octopus?) in front of me for one: being brave enough to do such a thing, and two: not being caught whilst dragging a student to listen in on the conversation.

...I'm not even going to try and understand what the girls are doing. As of the moment, I could deduce from the fact that Bi – I mean, Irina-sensei was in the center of the metaphorical spotlight that what she was going to say next was most _definitely_ M-rated.

Then that bastard of an octopus exposed the both of us as he twitched ever-so slightly, immediately bailing out on me as soon as the rest of the girls began screaming at him and oi did he just leave me alone in a room full of girls with nothing more than murderous intent?

...I am _so_ going to enjoy pelting him with bullets later. I wonder if I could find a machine somewhere that could let me shoot bullets with just a thought. That would be awesome – watching that idiotic octopus trying to dodge all of them only to get his cockiness get a hold of him and have his head blown off.

Still, this is quite an unfavorable situation for me if I just stood here doing nothing. Since the girls were still blind with rage, I could still use the short amount of grace time that they had given me as a way to escape. Behold, my ultimate technique! [Stealth Hikki–!

"Hachiman."

...I...probably shouldn't have gloated my secret technique and just used it, shouldn't I? After all, missing out on the chance to act cool was a _much_ better deal than being stabbed to death by a bunch of amazons who were currently in a berserker's rage.

And the fact that I realized that I was going to be stabbed to death by a bunch of rubber knives was not enough to spare me from the fate that I'm about to go through.

My vision immediately blurred as a dull pain throbbed at the back of my head, regaining my consciousness an instant later as I found myself pinned to the ground, my arms and legs being held together with a bone-crushing force as a familiar green knife was hovering dangerously right above my throat.

...Yup. Should've known that I was going to die being stabbed by a bunch of rubber knives, "Might want to put the knife down?"

"So you prefer your bones breaking over your precious throat being uncomfortably hot?" Nakamura's cold voice resonated through the air around me as I only shot her a bitter grimace, "...Well, I should've expected something like this from you. Hachiman wouldn't be himself without his signature snarking and all, but...are you sure you want everyone to see this perverted side of you?"

"I'm actually thankful right now that you're actually giving me a chance to speak instead of just sending me into dreamland immediately", I said with a thin smile on my face as a frown soon formed on it a second later, "...Well, the boys were all rearing up to get Korosensei for apparently snooping in on their secrets–"

"That's what we were about to do."

"–But it's kind of a hassle to just join them on their torches and pitchforks shtick, so I just tracked the octopus down, and lo and behold, he's _also_ snooping right in the middle of your girl's talk", I said with a sigh, seeing the murderous gazes around me soften as I couldn't help but inwardly cry for joy. At last! I have found women who're more than just brain-dead idiots! "And just when I was about to kill him, the damn bastard opened the door and used me for his substitution jutsu."

"Kind of weird that the piece of wood's talking right now, though."

"Can it", I said, snapping towards the direction of the voice and found Hayami-san trying to hold back a snicker, "I intended to knock on the door first, but the octopus sensed it and immediately dragged me in with those tentacles of his. It was seriously scary. It felt like I was going to be sodomized at any second at Mach 20, and there was nothing that I could do..."

My dead eyes became a little bit deader, "...Actually, how did you guys _not_ notice the two-meter tall octopus that's directly in front of Irina-sensei?"

Silence wafted through the air for a few moments as the girls looked at each other with mute expressions on their faces, their single collective gaze turning towards me a minute later as I felt a chill crawl up the back of my spine, with the collar of my kimono forcibly being pulled upwards as I met Nakamura's frosty glare, "You said that you can track down Korosensei, right?"

I quickly nodded, causing Nakamura to give me a cold smile as she leaned in closer, "...Do you know where he currently is right now?"

"Yeah", I said, the same smile forming on my face as I stared at Nakamura with a glint of malicious intent in my eyes, "...Karasuma-sensei's room."

No words were exchanged as Nakamura pulled me up back to my full height, with nods quickly discussing our intent with the yellow octopus as she handed me a BB gun, a fully-fledged rifle air gun as I couldn't help but smile, once again feeling the same elation that I felt when I first blew his arm off during that homeroom. We all filed out of the room a moment later with cold, professional looks on our faces, eventually meeting up with the rest of the boys as once again, no words were exchanged between the two parties – just some quick nods and grunts that signified our intent as we coldly made our way towards the room where our quarry currently isolated himself, thinking that he was safe.

Oh boy, was he wrong.

* * *

 **Mwahahaha! Once again, I am back from the land of the dead and into Avalon itself! Exams are over, clearance is going to be a bitch, and the single most important thing that I need to do in order to move onto my last year of high school is still not finished! Yet, here I am, ready to tend to my future occupation (I think) and provide my readers with what they were expecting: closure!**

 **...I-I think? I mean, this is** _ **technically**_ **Hachiman's second arc as of yet, and there's still a lot more to go, if my incredibly unreliable memory is to be believed, but I'm more of an on-the-spot person than one who plans things out meticulously. Must've been the reason why most of my long-term writing projects are currently on hiatus until I find the motivation to write them.**

 **Also, I'd once again like to apologize for the lateness of my update. I'm sure as hell that I could do well on my exams even without reviewing a few concepts, but everytime that exam ends and I'm up at the dorm, staring at my laptop...And the writer block just kicks in since my unconscious is scolding me for trying to do something funny during exam week.**

 **In any case, another chapter closes in on both my and Hikigaya's life, and as such, please expect another arc starting from the next chapter onwards. Rest assured, I will not be making philosophical discourse due to someone burning his or her porn stash.**

 **...Though, the reviews on that are mixed, so please let me know if you guys want another one of those or not.**

 **ALSO, just a little bit of self-promotion here, but I started a new fic in the Fate/Stay Night section, titled 'The Progenitor's Promise'. It's a mix of the 5** **th** **Holy Grail War and a few OC characters, one that I really love since they're the characters that I'm trying to actualize in an actual original storyline. I've already got the entire plot hashed in and all, but...Well, I've got to start places first.**

 **So, it seems that my little 'note' has gone on for far too long. I'll be excusing myself this time, and hope that you keep on following this story, along with the other one that I just mentioned earlier. Hope you all have a good time and wait excruciatingly for the next update! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA– Yeah, I'm not that sadistic.**

 **Bye!**


	16. 15 - Refuge in Audacity

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 15 – Refuge in Audacity

* * *

"Hachiman, over here!" A voice in front of me more or less screamed into my ear as I stopped in my tracks and winced, the loudness of the sound enough for me to rub my ears in pain as I glared at the person in front of me.

"Nakamura", I said, massaging my temples with my hands as I stared at the blonde witch in front of me, who simply looked at me with her all-too familiar grin, "…What the hell are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, obviously", she said without a single hint of embarrassment laced in her tone as she stared at me with a twinkle of a smile in her blue eyes. Seriously, if someone else heard this, then they'd automatically assume that the two of us were currently dating (which I would gladly prove to anyone that we're not) and would only cause a more severe case of migraine when it comes to the near future, "Isn't that what friends are supposed to do?"

"No, I'm pretty sure that you're stepping over the boundaries here, Nakamura", I said with a barely concealed expression of irritation as she looked at me curiously and wow woman, I could _not_ understand as to how you're so slow regarding these things! I mean, I know that I have the density and tact of a lead brick, but _you're_ just…ugh, what's the densest metal on earth, again? "Those lines are only spoken between lovers, and I'm pretty sure that I don't classify this as intimacy."

"Tch. You don't just give me some kind of leeway to tease you, Hachiman", she said with a frown and a pout as I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. Look, if you're supposed to be joking, then you're supposed to give out hints – I almost believed (lol) that you were actually serious, you know?

"Just shut your trap and let's get moving already", I chastised my friend (could finally say it out loud without someone laughing at me. Ha, take that, Komachi!) as I quickly trudged up the mountain trail, hearing Nakamura's footsteps keeping pace behind me as our journey towards the satellite campus began.

At first, such a thing was a chore, with me almost running out of breath as soon as I reach the end of the trail, but with the almost-Spartan training that Karasuma-sensei had been putting us through for quite a while now, it was getting relatively easier to trudge up the mountain and the entire charade was becoming quite therapeutic – a daily routine to clear all the thoughts that had been building up over the course of yesterday as my mind descended into a state of controlled meditation, carefully filing away the relevant information that had occurred over the course of the field trip as I breathed a controlled sigh.

…After all was said and done, all I could think about right now was how badly I screwed up. Not with Nakamura – I was pretty sure that I had already patched _that_ avenue up during the school trip (I guess, I think? I still need to ask her about it, but then again, that would make me look desperate), but with another person that I swore to hear out.

Needless to say, it was indeed Kanzaki herself. Sure, she admitted herself during the school trip that she tried to drive me and Nakamura apart, and when you just realized that you cherished your friendship with someone, hearing that someone else tried to drive you and said friend apart was…well, I'm sure we all know how that went.

Still, the deed was done. I'm sure I had hurt her as much as I had wanted to back then, but no amount of gritting my teeth over it is going to help me rewind my relationship values back where it started. Unless I had a time machine. In which case, I shouldn't be here in the first place meditating about idle thoughts.

At least, I needed to find the reason as to _why_ she did such a thing. I may have been quite liberal with slathering my own ideals and perspective onto her character, but Kanzaki was just like the rest of us – a human. One that put on a mask of logic in order to conceal the chaos of irrationality that lay within. But, one thing that I had absolutely known about her was that she was a flawless manipulator of personae, due to both her status as the class idol and the fact that her relationship with her parents wasn't necessarily beneficial to both sides of the party.

So the question that I was supposed to ask right now is: What mask was she using when she confronted me during that time in the inn? "Hachiman."

I felt an irritating sensation on my cheek, and sure enough, I knew that Nakamura snapped me out of my thoughts by poking me on my left cheek. Somehow, I just wanted to sock her face right then and there for ruining my perfectly working train of thought, but then again, I _can't_ just ignore her in favor of my own head. I already experienced it once before, and I _do not_ – I repeat: I _do not_ want a repeat of that experience ever again.

Hah…friends, "What?"

"You're getting lost in your own thoughts there, so I figure that you needed a submarine to get you out before the tentacles dragged you in."

I shivered at her vivid imagery, "…I guess it's both more comforting and horrific if the tentacles belonged to Korosensei. Just…wow, thanks, Nakamura."

"Don't mention it", she said, once again shooting her signature grin my way as I couldn't help but smile back, "Just doing what a friend would do, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure", I said whilst rolling my eyes at her as she tried to stifle her own laughter, but I could still clearly hear the little snorts and giggles that she tried her best to keep me from hearing, "So, how's your studies coming along?"

"Why? Trying to capitalize on my academic inadequacies in order for you to use the chance to slip in closer?" Nakamura said while immediately trying to gain some distance with me as she covered her chest with her hands and stared at me with a scared expression written all over her face. In response, I only stared at her with a blank look on her face for a few seconds before she dropped the act and sighed, "…Doing good, I guess. No in small part thanks to you, I think."

"The fact that you said everything that you just said in English is kind of scary, really", I said, a slight grimace forming on my face as I quickened my pace, "Is English your bread and butter or something? You're planning to be a translator or interpreter or something?"

"Hm…I haven't given much thought into it, exactly", she said, a rare thoughtful expression crossing her face as her gaze turned towards me, "So? What about you, Hikigaya? Do you know what you're going to be in the future?"

"A househusband."

"Quite a direct reply, huh…?" Nakamura said as she stared at me with sadness and pity in her eyes and hey, I didn't mock you for having no future plans! I'm actually quite dedicated to my future self, so don't just insult me for it, you witch! "…Well, all I know for sure is that whoever is going to be your wife is going to have a hard time with dealing with you–"

"Oi."

"–But I'm sure that she'll cherish it as well", Nakamura said, once again giving me another one of her signature grins, "After all, they can't find something more interesting than you, after all. Though if they did, I think they'd immediately render the marriage contract null and void and run off with about three-quarters of your life savings as alimony…"

I twitched my eyes at her. Woman, how dare you insinuate that marriage is nothing more than just a temporarily reprieve from the horrors of everyday life, and the only reason why they even stick with me is because I'm supposedly just an entertainment apparatus like a TV or a computer. And how dare my prospective wives (wow I'm really getting ahead of myself, aren't I?) steal all of my hard-earned cash away just because that their lawyer is supposedly defending against an innocent and pure woman while mine was defending what was equivalently the coming of the Demon King himself. Seriously, damn them all. If they were just marrying me for the sake of trying to aim for my wealth, then do it in a more respectable manner, you! Like for example, arranging for an assassination and you stepping in as the interim head of the family while slowly manipulating the children to become your puppets in the future so that you have full control over the family wealth–

…Wow. My mind scares me, "Like they'd even do that in the first place."

"Of course they won't. You'd scare them by unleashing your Mystic Eyes first so they can't escape the relationship even if they want to or not", Nakamura said with a knowing smirk on her face as I couldn't help but scowl at her in response. Seriously, is this girl trying to help me or lend me a shovel so I could dig myself in deeper?

Considering her personality though, it's most obviously both. Damn witch.

"Ah, we're here", I said, snapping myself out of my own thoughts as the satellite campus came into view, its old wooden walls gleaming with the scent of earth all over it as I couldn't help but stupidly grin at it like an idiot. During my first day here, I had absolutely _loathed_ staring at the goddamn campus since it was so broken down that we might as well be having class outside and nothing would change, but now seeing the damn rickety old thing brought a smile on my face.

I was just in this school for less than two months and I'm already making good time. Was it because that I was desensitized by the octopus suddenly barging in and throwing everything we knew out the window?

Yes. Most definitely, a resounding 'yes'.

[–|–]

"What."

 _Wow._ How many chapters has it been since I first uttered those words of incredulity – of my mind convincing myself that everything that I saw was just a fleeting phantasm of sensory imagery? How many words has it been since I uttered those words that had sealed my fate as a member of Kunugigaoka Junior High School's third-year middle school student in class 3-E? Still, since the situation in front of me warranted the same reaction as last time, so I'm afraid I must say the magic words once again in order for the spell to start working.

"What."

And at last, there it goes. The hulking black monolith that had been carefully positioned right to the left of my chair turned on a pivot in its base, with the small LCD screen embedded near the top end of the black prism blinking to life as I unconsciously gulped in the process.

Forced evolution, here I come. Let's just hope that I don't turn back into an ape that's stuck inside a spaceship with a murderous AI controlling all the systems, "Good morning, Hikigaya-san. I am the Autonomous Thinking Fixed Artillery, from Norway. It is nice to make your acquaintance."

And just like that, without waiting for my reply, the black monolith once again turned silent, leaving me with wide eyes as I simply stood in shock as to what had happened just a few seconds ago as I slowly blinked in response. This time though, the shock was much greater than seeing a walking, talking, (relatively) immortal octopus standing in front of a class full of middle-schoolers, so I _had_ to say this for the third time today just to get it out of my system.

"What–"

"Everyone, take your seats", Karasuma-sensei said as he walked into the room and brought me out of the state that I was in, my body remembering what I was doing as I quickly took a seat and began arranging the books that I had brought with me.

…I ignored Nakamura's giggling and focused on Karasuma-sensei, who seemed to be content with writing some lengthy words on the blackboard – which I took to be the name of the black monolith vigilantly standing beside me. Once he started talking however, I was already midway through my journey towards dreamland. The earphones constantly blaring out PreCure music was enough to keep me from listening in to Karasuma-sensei's drabble about the new transfer student, and once again I resumed my normal act of falling asleep in the middle of class in order to make sure that I have as little interaction with the black monolith vigilantly watching over me like some kind of sentinel.

The moment that my eyes shot open, I was already rolling to the side, avoiding a rubber knife aimed for my neck as the sudden movement jerked off my sense of balance, my body immediately whirling on reflex as the back of my head collided against the wooden floor, a strangled yelp of pain coming out of my lips as I immediately brought my arms over my vitals in a cross-guard, my glare directed towards the red-headed devil who casually twirled the rubber knife he held in his hands with an infuriating smirk on his face, "Your reflexes are as fast as usual, Hikigaya-kun. Although, it won't save you from what happens next."

My eyes glanced towards my side, seeing an unnaturally high density of tiny pink globules of plastic, and the gears in my mind clicked in place upon realizing Karma's thoughts, "…Alright, I'll help. You got a broom or something like that?"

"As expected of Hikigaya, huh. Always knowing what to do and expect even if he's placed in an unfamiliar situation", Karma said with a smirk on his face as he preferred a hand towards me, my body immediately taking it as I let myself be pulled up by the redhead, "Well, here's your standard-issue broom and dustpan, so get cleaning."

I simply nodded in response as I set about my work cleaning up the BB pellets that were scattered all over the classroom like it was some sort of fish kill. The question was already there in my throat, but somehow I managed to push it down through sheer willpower and just kept on cleaning, "Not even asking why we're cleaning up this mess, huh? Hikigaya, are you sure you're alright?"

"Then I'm asking now."

"Your seatmate decided to pepper the whole classroom with BB rounds", Karma said with a lazy smile on his face as he swept more of the little pink globes my way and hey, don't make me do you own work, you prick! "It's kind of amazing that you just slept through all of that. I don't know whether I should be amazed or miffed that you were able to do such a thing. I mean, she was using a _ton_ of bullets, you know?"

My gaze drifted towards the black monolith that was my seatmate, my brows furrowing at it as I glanced back towards Korosensei, who was currently watching us work with a smug satisfaction on his face.

Needless to say, it took a few wasted magazines in my air gun in order for me to calm myself down, at the cost of me having a few more rounds to clean up, "…Still, worth it."

"Can't exactly call it worthwhile if you can't even hit the guy", Karma pointed out towards me as I simply smirked at him in response.

"Some things have some sort of intrinsic value to them, even if they ultimately prove useless in the long run", I said, once again pointing my gun towards Korosensei and fired, "…Shooting at that failure of an octopus is my way to vent out stress. It's cathartic, and it helps if he got hit. Well, not that I can hit him without giving myself away, though."

"An admirable line of thinking, Hikigaya-kun", Korosensei said, using the chance to sneak up on both of us as I couldn't help but scowl at him in response. Seriously sensei, ever heard of something called 'privacy'? No? Oh, that explains why you're so eager to get up to everyone's faces, "…It is true that doing something akin to a hobby calms you down, but…! To think that you would associate my demise as cathartic…!"

I sighed, once again sending another BB pellet his way as the octopus once again dodged, this time using my unguarded expression to his advantage as he began massaging my back and hey get off, get off, get off! I don't like the way that this is going, you walking hentai fodder! "Ara Hikigaya-kun, you must stressed and tired as of late, if the tightness of your back is supposed to be a clue. Which is why I'm giving you one of my patented back massages, in order to–"

"Call child services."

"On it."

"Hikigaya-kun, Karma-kun!?" The would-be molester screamed as he stared at the two of us, the singular direction of our apathetic gazes sealing away his fate as Karma immediately lunged forward with knife in tow, the octopus dodging to a spot just beside him – until he once again dodged, courtesy of the single BB pellet that whizzed by his body. The rest of us immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at us with incredulous expressions on their faces, their minds slowly whirring in response to the current situation as I couldn't help but release an exasperated sigh and glared at them.

"A third of the class, gather up the BB pellets and stuff them into magazines! Another third, grab your guns and fire in random volleys! The last third, get your damn knives and corner him!" I screamed, once again firing another shot from my pistol as I lunged towards my seat and grabbed the rifle slung on it, quickly whirling its sights onto the future molester of women and fired in short bursts, "I've finally had enough of this guy and him trying to feel us up, so help me kill this failure of an octopus!"

"""Roger!"""

The rest of the class snapped out of their thoughts and immediately moved, immediately forming up their ranks as the class moved like a well-oiled machine, fueled by the memories of the octopus in front of us doing some morally questionable things and our universal hate for his grooming (not that we hate it per se, but the bastard needs to learn _when_ to do it). As BB pellets soon filled the air amidst the various flashes of green wielded by the front guard, the rest of my classmates in charge of logistics were busy sweeping up the spent BB pellets and stacking them in magazines, wherein the classmates in charge of firing at the damn octopus fired in three stacking volleys, the first and second row doing the firing whilst the third row went to the back of the classroom and reloaded their rifles.

Overall, it was a pretty good job…until Karasuma-sensei heard the noise and immediately stepped in to scold us for causing so much noise.

Never before have I ever wanted to shoot a whole magazine of BB pellets into Karasuma-sensei's forehead before then.

[–|–]

"Learned your lesson already?" Nakamura barked at me as she slammed a fist on my head, making me flinch and scowl at her as if she was the very bane of my existence. Well, she technically _is,_ but that's beside the point, "Seriously Hachiman. Here I thought that you were the cool and mature type, but who knew that you had a childish streak as well?"

"Gee, I don't know. Blame my stunted social growth for that, thanks", I replied in a deadpan tone as the blonde witch's eyes twitched at me, "…Plus, I was already getting annoyed by his tendency to groom things up while we're busy trying to kill him."

"Isn't that too petty of a reason to start shooting at him like an idiot?"

"You _obviously_ haven't been the target of one of his massage sessions", I said, a chill immediately running up my spine as I unconsciously shivered at the few scant memories of the whole thing, "…If he did that, well…Let's just say that calling child services is just the tip of the iceberg."

"I don't know whether or not your protectiveness is a good or a bad trait about you."

"Traits aren't inherently evil", I said, shooting a glance at her before I continued, "…Then again, why must we rely on something as abstract and relative as the concepts of 'good' and 'evil' in the first place? Clearly, it only takes the matter of thinking from a different perspective in order to justify whatever atrocity one might commit in the name of 'good', and that line of action is exactly what happened during the Crusades and the Inquisition–"

"Alright, I get it already you damn history buff", Nakamura said with a sigh as she shook her head at me, "…Seriously Hachiman. One of these days, you're going to be the death of me."

"Same goes to you too", I said with a smirk as the two of us stopped at an intersection, giving the blonde witch an awkward smile and a wave, "Then, see you tomorrow."

"Don't do such an idiotic thing next time, Hachiman", Nakamura said with a thin smile on her face as she waved at me in return and started walking towards the opposite end of the intersection, a thin smile forming on my face in relief as I started walking back towards my apartment–

"Say", a voice behind me said as I immediately froze, recognizing that voice in an instant as I whirled around and came face-to-face with a girl with amber eyes, "I've been wondering…Are you and Nakamura dating?"

"Hell no", I immediately snapped at Kanzaki who simply shot a thin smile at me, "…You think I'm lying, aren't you?"

"Of course", she said, the slightest hint of mirth in her tone as she stared at me with a thin smile on her face. Alright, what kind of mask is this? "You two go and leave school together, most of your weekends are spent with each other, so one would obviously think that you two are dating."

…I mentally filed away the part wherein she indirectly told me that she was stalking the two of us for later. First things first, I needed to convince this woman in front of me that Nakamura and I aren't dating, but then again…What for? I could just leave her with that kind of misunderstanding and cut my interaction with her short, but then again, I don't want to be subject to any nasty rumors that a middle-schooler could think of. They were the stuff of my nightmares, the truth being incomprehensively mixed with fiction in a way that didn't make any kind of sense, yet still held venom more potent than the Hydra's blood.

And it wasn't only the rumors that I was worried about: I was worried about Nakamura as well. What would she do if the rumors came? Would she just laugh it off and pretend that she didn't hear it; find the source of the rumors and exterminate it, or what I had feared: leave me all alone once again in order for her to keep up with the status quo?

That was what I feared, but then I pushed it down into the deepest depths of my heart. I was her friend – I was Nakamura Rio's friend. If I didn't believe her when the time came, then I might as well come full circle with my personality that I wouldn't even care anymore. Sure, I had been let down – sure, I had been sold out – sure, I had been ostracized, but still I tried to believe for one last time that I wasn't alone in my struggles.

If there were rumors about us, then what would Nakamura think? "We're not."

This time, I had said it with finality – with certainty. There was no room for misinterpretation, and she certainly couldn't twist my words given that I had only spoken two words.

"So…you're the 'doormat' type when you're around women", Kanzaki said with realization in her voice as I couldn't help but stare incredulously at her. Number one: How the hell did she get that conclusion? Number two: Yes, I am a doormat for women, but only for none other than Hikigaya Komachi herself. Aside from her, there would be no way that I would ever let a girl run over me like I'm some sort of speed bump. Seriously just what _is_ this woman trying to insinuate?

"No."

"Denial only gets you nowhere, Hikigaya", Kanzaki pointed out with a thin smile on her face as I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at her in response. I might as well ask her now out of all times instead of just floundering around like an idiot.

"So, why are you here?" I said, directly staring at Kanzaki with a blank gaze as she immediately averted my gaze, scratching her cheek as she fiddled with her school bag. Alright, wait a minute here – this is an incredibly weird development. Just what the hell is this woman thinking, raising a flag all on her own?

Not that I mind though, but still…I need some sort of foreshadowing on this, you know!

"Here", she said, finally reaching inside her bag as she took out a gray object and handed it towards me, the familiar wool texture making me stare at Kanzaki with wide eyes, "Your bonnet. You were asking for it a while back, right?"

Somehow, I couldn't help but let a frown escape my face, "…Sure, I was trying to get it back from you, but why now?"

Silence filled the afternoon air as I met Kanzaki's amber gaze, with her eyes going through a veritable cascade of emotions that I could track with my own eyes. Indecision, courage, fear, melancholy, resignation…somehow, those emotions that I never would've thought _her_ out of all people to have was now currently being bared right in front of me, and I couldn't help but take a step back facing it all.

Was this…Was this the _actual_ form of Kanzaki Yukiko? One who lived her whole live second-guessing things, trying to keep up a fake veneer of confidence, yet always knowing that sooner or later her charade would end and her true self is revealed to all? One who shunned all contact with people, one who made up a nearly infinite amount of masks in order to cope with her everyday life?

"I…" Kanzaki said, her voice cracking as she stared at me with a flash of fear in her eyes. Hell, where had that confident expression on hers went? A trip down memory lane? Hikigaya Hachiman, now's not the time to be joking about such matters. Thanks common sense, I needed that. Yeah, what would you do without me, Hikigaya? Everything actually. Screw you. I love you too, common sense, "…Just…Take this. Tell Nakamura-san that I'm sorry. I know that she won't forgive me, but still…please, take it."

As she said that, she shoved the bonnet into my hands as she quickly turned around and ran off, leaving me in the middle of the sidewalk with my eyebrows raised in confusion.

Slowly, I regained all semblance of movement as I slowly put on the bonnet that I held in my hands, feeling the warm and comforting feeling of the wool bear its weight on me as I let out a sigh, my hands unknowingly clenching themselves into fists as I stared up towards the afternoon sky, the vestiges of purple mixing with orange as I couldn't help but frown at the sight.

People wear masks in order to deal with the stimuli that reality forces them through. One might be put on in front of family, in front of friends, in front of strangers, and the ability to seamlessly switch masks was the hallmark of a successful riajuu, or an extremely talented actor – one able to fake emotions, thoughts, or perception to a frankly terrifying degree. I had thought that the person known as Kanzaki Yukiko was the latter type, given her penchant to suddenly switch personalities at the drop of a hat whenever I was facing her.

But I was wrong. Once again, I was so goddamn wrong that I couldn't even laugh at myself for being such an idiot. And the heavens knew that I practically thrived on self-depreciation.

One always wanted another person to see through their masks – to be able to pierce through all of those layers of lies and deceit and to see the true person inside. It was an ingrained reaction, formed nearly out of instinct. For me, that person was Korosensei. For Nakamura, that person was me. And as for Kanzaki…

…She wouldn't have looked at me with those eyes if she didn't want me to dig through the grime and muck.


	17. 16 - An Unexpected Visitor 2

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 16 – An Unexpected Visitor 2

* * *

I sigh, putting my laptop on sleep and leaning on the couch behind me as I couldn't help but release a frustrated sigh. Seriously? Four hours of painstaking searching and I find _nothing_? Just how am I going to do this?

The easiest route would be to ask Kanzaki herself as to what her problem is, but it would lead to a can of worms that I'd rather not open right now, plus a risk that I wouldn't be able to take unless I was in desperate straits. Also, her parents are a no-go as well. If she was what I thought she was, then Kanzaki would be the only one that would be affected by me talking to my parents, and in most definitely _not_ in a good way.

So where do I start? Searching up the net reveals nothing. I can't risk a personal confrontation and intervention, and I wouldn't choose them even if I had a gun to my head. So what to do? How do I help her?

 _But then again, does she need my help in the first place?_

That thought made me stop, halting the diverging trains of thought and send them recalling back towards the main station. Indeed, the first I should've asked is whether or not Kanzaki needed my help in all of this. It wasn't as if I had anything to gain from this line of thought, and I would most definitely be involved in more risks that I could point at that would make my life harder than it was already.

Just…wow. If I didn't see Kanzaki's grief-stricken face earlier this day, then I would've called this endeavour useless and drop it at the top of a hat. So what made me change my mind? Was it because of such a simple thing that I could be swayed to her will? For all I know, she deserved it and I was just helping another morally questionable person achieve her goals.

I groaned, a frustrated sigh once again leaving out of me as I tried to file away all of my second doubts in a folder in my mind and wiped its existence clean off the face of the earth. If she didn't want my help, then fine. I'll still do it since I'm curious. If she _does_ want my help then fine, I guess that's just one uncertainty out the window.

…Nevermind Kanzaki's opinion, then. _Why_ am I doing this? Because she sent me an unwritten request to do so, or was my pride acting up again and telling me that only _I_ could solve her problems with nothing but a simple snap of my fingers? At this moment in time, I didn't know. Mostly, I was betting on the latter, which severely decreased the amount of motivation that I have as things are going.

If my pride was the one that forced me to look into this, then all that effort must've been useless in the first place.

Without even looking in the direction of my desk, my hand shot out and grabbed hold of a single can of MAXX Coffee, downing the beverage down in one gulp as I can't help but release a sigh as the sugar made its work throughout my brain.

…Only for my reverie to be cut short by my phone ringing its signature PreCure music. Did you think that I would change my loyalties just because people found out that I'm secretly an otaku (a casual one, but the description still stands)? Ha! I'm not so much of a spineless bastard as to do that!

Taking the phone in my hands and looking at the caller, it was obvious that it was my hyperactive little sister. Since I now knew who the caller was, I slowly placed my phone back on the desk and put it on speaker just before I connected the call–

"ONII-CHAN!"

Yeah, I knew it. My older brother instincts told me that Komachi was going to try and break my phone's speakers the first second that my phone connected with her. As I thought, living with someone for about twelve years of their life would make you anticipate their thoughts regardless of distance. Truly, being siblings is such a scary concept that I can't even crack a joke about it.

Making my tone blank and composed, I slowly replied to the caller on the other end of the line, "…What is it, Komachi? Just so you know, I was busy doing something important–"

"Guess what, onii-chan!?" Once again, my little sister's lack of delicacy still astounds me to this day. Seriously Komachi, you're going to get fired in your first job due to your lack of delicacy. Didn't Mom and Dad teach you to listen to others first before you talk? Just what kind of influence does Komachi have in order to develop these kinds of unhealthy traits? Looks like I'll have to give Mom and Dad a call to coerce (lol) them to put on their detective hats and search out this influence and eliminate it at its core. Indeed, what a wonderful plan if I do say so myself…Hehe.

"What?"

"Komachi's coming over there tomorrow, since I've been feeling that onii-chan's getting a bit lonely lately!" Hey, what do you mean 'lonely'? Just so you know, I have friends now, you know? Well, Nakamura only counts as one and more like I have seven plus acquaintances, but still! I have a friend and some other people to talk to when I'm bored! I am not 'lonely' in the slightest!

"But I–"

"Hehe onii-chan, I know you're a tsundere so you're probably thinking that I shouldn't bother myself with going there, but I know the true you – you're just _dying_ for some kind of companionship, right?" WHO DID THIS!? WHO TURNED KOMACHI INTO…THIS!? I SWEAR, I'M GOING TO FIND THIS INFLUENCE AND EXILE IT WITHOUT USING ANY KIND OF MANA AT ALL! I KNOW THAT IT'S AGAINST THE RULES BUT THAT'S JUST THE TINIEST AMOUNT OF COMPASSION THAT I WILL GIVE FOR ATTEMPTING TO DEFILE MY CUTE LITTLE SISTER! "That's why I asked Mom and Dad to come with me to visit you, and they agreed! We're going to have another family outing, right!?"

You mean more like Mom and Dad taking advantage of the fact that I have half-day classes for tomorrow so that they can have another child? Yeah, if that's the definition of 'family outing' then I'm pretty sure that you're spot-on, Komachi. Unless of course, I took it upon me to 'out' the 'family' in the first place, am I right?

…Hehe, only true pun masters would get that, "Sure."

"Then onii-chan, see you tomorrow!" Komachi's cheery voice once again rang on the line as I couldn't help but frown as the connection was cut. Seriously? You say all of that and you drop the line so that I won't have any time to object? Who taught you this? It was obvious that you were too stupid to figure this technique on your own (I know it's the truth, but insulting my sister just makes me want to kill myself, damn it!), so it was obvious you had help.

…Which meant that my parents were in on this 'family reunion' as well? Ugh, I swear they're like dogs in heat. Well, it _is_ kind of nearing summer after all, so I guess they're just 'going with the times'?

I sighed, leaning back more into the couch as I couldn't help but once again release a frustrated sigh, taking a few seconds of thought before I stood out of my chair with my eyes wide open, my mind finally making a connection that I should've noticed a long time ago.

…I was out of MAXX Coffee, and thus I needed to go towards the nearest convenience store that sells them in order to restock up on my favourite drink. Sure, I couldn't go a day without drinking two of the damn things, but then again, everyone has his own quirks.

I scrounged up some of the money that I left lying around just in case of such a situation, and quickly went outside my apartment while I made my way towards the nearest convenience store. As I went out the apartment complex, my gaze was pulled to the newly-built inn on the corner of the street as I couldn't help but sigh at it in the process. Seriously, out of all the places that it could be built, why at a location so far away from any prospective customers?

…Once again, I could care less for the inherent stupidity of people.

[–|–]

As I exited the convenience store while carrying a dozen cans of MAXX Coffee in my arms and a stupid grin on my face, I stopped at the entrance of an alleyway, my ears picking up on the sounds coming from within as I couldn't help but frown at the situation, my feet rooted in place as I tried to make a decision.

It seems that four delinquents who came too early for the fishing season are harassing a single middle-schooler who currently feared for her life. Well, from the lecherous look on the delinquents' faces however, it told me that they were not there to hold her up for money or anything.

Ugh…why am I becoming like Emiya Shirou the more time I spend in this world? "Oi. What are you guys doing over there?"

Hah…first step, distract them from my true intentions, "Huh? What's a middle-school brat like you doing here? Piss off, ya hear? It's our business to do whatever the hell we want."

It seems to have worked. Step one complete, moving onto step two: distract them even further by angering them in order to eliminate their possible choices, "The fact that the rest of you are doing nothing while daylight's still out means that you must've been idiots in order to fall _this_ far into the food chain. What's wrong, did your brains finally stopped working? Might as well owe the world a favour and donate your brains to some kind of medical institution – they'll sell for millions given how there's almost nothing inside them."

"You bastard!' Step two complete. Provocation yielding positive results – all delinquents now focused on me and not on the girl in front of them. All of the crooks take a menacing step forward, aiming to threaten with their presence…Prove them wrong with step three:

Attacking them by surprise.

My feet moved quickly, my figure melting into the shadows of the alleyway in an instant as I brought out my air gun and fired, the aiming process coming towards me on instinct as two short puffs of air resounded throughout the alleyway as one of the delinquents choked on air and stopped moving, making him an easy target for a full roundhouse kick that sent him into dreamland.

The rest of the delinquents looked upon on of their own as they shouted at the alleyway around them in rage, their bellows certainly nothing but breathing out hot air as I quickly came out of the shadows as fast as I melded back in, my shin already moving upwards as a sickening crunch resounded through the air, mixing with a delinquent's scream as his nuts were crushed by my shin.

Footsteps clacked behind me as I immediately responded by turning around and dropping onto one knee, firing another BB pellet at another delinquent's throat as he froze in his tracks at the sound of a short intake of air, my feet once again moving as it slammed onto his temple and floored him in an instant.

After making sure that the guy who had his nuts crushed was unconscious, I wheeled around towards the last delinquent, seeing him hold a pocketknife towards the middle-schooler who was staring at me with her eyes bugged out and her breathing uneven.

…Alright, first things first: One, why didn't you run away or hide when you clearly saw me taking on those guys by yourself? Are you retarded or something? Actually, now that I think about it, you are. You have this whole 'riajuu' vibe going with you, and now I can't help but use you as evidence to cement my theory that riajuu = stupid… Oh no. This is bad. I've been suspecting that Komachi was turning into a riajuu given the fact that she was loud and boisterous and almost seemed to light up the whole room she's in, but now that I think about this situation very, _very_ carefully…

Was my dear little sister…An idiot?

Hikigaya-san? Hikigaya-san? Yes, what is it common sense? I'd hate to interrupt your monologue and all, but the riajuu still has a knife pointed at her throat. Ah, thanks for reminding me of that, common sense. Sometimes, I don't know whether or not you're actually an idiot, Hikigaya-san. We share one brain, so both of us are idiots if your theory is correct. So does that mean that we're also riajuus, Hikigaya-san? Can it, you.

I snapped out of my self-induced stupor and glared at the delinquent who's making empty threats. The fact that his hand was shaking as he pointed it at the riajuu's throat only confirmed my suspicions that he was doing it out of desperation, but then again…

…Desperation makes one irrational.

My finger moved, another puff of air coming out of the airgun as the BB pellet that came out of it collided against the delinquent's wrist, making him yelp in pain as he dropped his pocketknife and immediately took a step back, once again making him an easy prey for my aim as another BB pellet bounced of his throat, my body moving forward as I sent the last delinquent off into unconsciousness with an axe kick.

I let out a relieved sigh that I held inside of me as all the stress went out of my body all at once, my shoulders sagging in the process as I glanced towards the riajuu who was still staring at her surroundings in shock. Without her noticing, I slipped the BB gun back into my pocket as I stared at her face, who was now accepting the situation that she was in…and promptly collapsed on the ground of a dirty alleyway. I swear, these riajuus are going to be the death of me.

Taking a step forward, I could see that her eyes were glazed – unfocused, as if she was shutting herself off from the world around her. No, that couldn't happen. If she shut down here then I wouldn't be able to move her someplace safe, "Oi."

Slowly, the riajuu perked up, her auburn eyes staring at me with a look of emptiness that I swore I had seen from my countenance a few months ago. It was weird that irony rears its ugly head now, "…What?"

I couldn't help but give her an annoyed huff as I proffered a hand out towards her, "What kind of idiot would you be to follow a few suspicious guys into an alleyway like this in the first place? Are you some kind of undiscovered human species that has actually taken a step backward in evolution?"

A spark of a fire lit up in her eyes, and I couldn't help but show her a thin smile. To be alive and kicking after her near-rape-and-subsequently-death experience, her mental fortitude's got to be stronger than a fortress wall, "…I don't want to be talked down to by a guy who looks more like a creep than those guys from earlier."

Just because I forgot my bonnet and glasses doesn't mean you get to crack jokes at my expense, alright?

My smirk grew wider, "If you can talk like that after your first near-death experience, then you seem to be alright. Let's get out of here. They won't we waking up for more than thirty minutes, and they'll remember nothing. Name?"

The riajuu looked at me as fear flashed through her auburn eyes, before they glinted with the light of cold steel, gripping my hand with a strong and firm grip as she let herself be pulled up from the ground, "…Yuigahama Yui."

"Hikigaya Hachiman", I said, my smile disappearing from my face as I stared back towards the entrance of the alleyway, "…We seriously need to go back. Do you know where you're supposed to go?"

"Izakaya Inn", she said, my eyes widening at the mention of the name as I tried to keep my expression neutral, "I was supposed to be on a field trip with the rest of my classmates, but then I got lost when they suddenly suggested to go to a part of the city that wasn't part of the itinerary…"

So…bullying, huh. Can't say I never experienced that sort of thing, since I was a target of one of those schemes myself. Seeing that the same thing happened to her…

…I gritted my teeth. I couldn't help her _now_ ; it would be the same as pampering her and stifling her ability to grow as a person. She needed to realize all these things by herself – that she was being ostracized for reasons unknown to her; that all of her supposed 'friends' had now switched sides and was now participating in the bloodbath; and that she will never be accepted again in her social caste until she decides to completely isolate herself from the source of her torment.

This time, logic won, making me let go of her hand as I swiftly put in back inside my pocket and made for the cans of MAXX Coffee that I had left at the entrance to the alleyway, looking as pristine as ever. I grabbed it with my free hand and glanced towards the riajuu known as Yuigahama, who was staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face, "Then, see you–"

"Wait!" She screamed, immediately lunging for the plastic bag that contained my lifeblood and oh I see what you're doing here. And here I thought you for nothing more than just an idiotic riajuu, but you know how to threaten your way around situations that you don't like, huh? Guess I should blame myself for letting my guard down amongst the likes of you.

"What?"

"I…I don't know where the inn is", she said, glancing away from me as I simply gave her an incredulous stare, "…I wasn't really paying attention to the teacher when she was talking about our lodgings, so I could only catch the name…"

"Are you an idiot?" I snapped almost instinctively as I couldn't help but twitch an eyebrow at her. You know what? I take my earlier statement back. This girl's an idiot – an idiot off the charts that you can't tell whether she's an idiot or a genius. Yeah, there's no point to this. Just leave her here, Hikigaya Hachiman – she could go call the police for all you care. I know common sense, but you see, she's still holding the bag full of my ichor. Unforgiveable. I second the motion, oh dear common sense.

"You have a phone. You could call the police for all I care", I said in a disinterested tone as I stared at her with a blank look on my face, "I believe just telling them about your circumstances would be enough to make your school come running to you with their heads bowed low. It's a win-win for you, isn't it?"

"Then…"

"What I'm saying is that you're annoying as hell, and I would rather spend the rest of my day not babysitting a woman who only knows how to plead like a dog and not do everything by herself", I said, my patience finally running thin as I quickly wrenched the riajuu's grip off of my purchase, quickly stomping off towards my apartment as I could feel the riajuu's footsteps closely keeping pace with me.

So I only did what I needed to do – lose her in the evening rush hour and ait for about thirty minutes before returning back.

My feet moved quickly and with purpose, weaving through the crowd as the riajuu behind me struggled to keep up with me, my ears isolating the sound of her footsteps from the rest of the noises surrounding me as I couldn't help but smirk at my newest skill: [Sound Isolation]. Using the difference in pitch and intensity of the sound waves around me, once I have tracked down the sound of my target, I would never lose (technical) sight of it, my normally sensitive ears being used to its full advantage due to the fact that I was able to track that riajuu's footsteps as easy as simply opening my eyes.

Once I knew I was sufficiently far enough, I immediately turned around a corner and ducked inside a café, watching the riajuu make her way through the afternoon crowd and completely miss the café that I had ducked into. Ha, the old turn-around-a-corner-and-wait-for-them-to-pass-before-walking-in-the-opposite-direction trick still works just as well as I had remembered.

I quickly got up my seat, a quick sigh escaping from my lips as I got out of the café and started walking into the direction of my home, shaking my head as I tried to forget the encounter as I couldn't help but glance towards the skyline, seeing it turn towards a dark blue as I couldn't help but grunt and continue on my way.

Out of all the people that I had met so far in my life, that girl had been one of the most…taxing to deal with. Not only was she obnoxious and annoying, but the wave of pure… _idiocy_ that I got from her was neutralizing my ability to read through her thoughts, probably because I'm going to get a case of airheaded-ness that would make me float a few feet above the ground.

…Or was it that riajuu's plan in the first place to act so stupid that no one with a right mind would ever associate with them? I mean, I wasn't one to talk after I more or less engaged in conversation with the idiot, but that was done for the purpose of trying to get her to calm down and regain her bearings. Once that was done, I could leave her be once again, letting me enjoy the rest of my night as I stew in frustration as to how I was interested in Kanzaki's problem in the first place.

But since I might as well be having a bad day, then it wouldn't help to just take out my frustration on a few things. Berating the riajuu like that was a good way to let out my stress, and I couldn't be happier to do such a thing– "Got you!"

…Oh hell. Why does my E-rank luck have to pull me in _now_?

Still, you can salvage this situation, Hikigaya Hachiman. All you need to do is take a deep breath and look at things from another perspective. If she was able to find you amongst the crowd, then that must've meant that she was more like a dog than you thought – a dog with the fleeting idea of trying to please everyone remotely connected to her even if it meant sacrificing a few important friends in the process.

God, this riajuu just makes me want to knock her unconscious and leave her with the rest of the delinquents back there. Why did I save her again? I mean, she _was_ getting what she owed, right? Was my chuuni side acting up again to play the role of a dashing young man saving a girl from delinquents? Wow, I must be more disgusting than I ever give myself credit for.

"Hey, don't just ignore me!" She pleaded, making me snort at her as I continued on my way back towards my apartment. Consequences be damned, but I've had enough of dealing with this woman. Slamming the door in her face would do me a lot more good than just agreeing to her request to just escort her back towards the inn. And just _why_ hasn't she called the goddamned police yet so they can track her school's lodgings down!? Is she an idiot!? Of course she is – she's a riajuu after all, so she _is_ one!

"I'm not your damn babysitter, so just call the damn police and it'll all be over with!" I said through gritted teeth as I couldn't help but give her a glare, the riajuu immediately freezing in her tracks as I saw fear lacing her eyes. Yeah, that's what I thought, "Now, I'll ask this one more and if you try to dodge it in any way, I am going to knock you out and toss you into an alleyway, consequences be damned."

The riajuu nodded as I narrowed my eyes at her, keeping silent for a few seconds as I watched the fear build up within her eyes, "…Now, why are you following me?"

She trembled and took a step back, sharply taking in a short burst of air as she tried to gather her wits about her. A few seconds passed before she finally opened her mouth to speak, but what came out was a sentence that I didn't expect from an innocent-looking backstabber of a riajuu.

"I…needed someone I can be with for the moment."

I blink, the surprise evidently written on my face as the riajuu in front of me slowly regained the confidence she had in her eyes, which were now staring at me as if I had just kicked a puppy and you know what? Fine. _Fine._ I have a feeling that she'll get considerably annoying if I just ignore her right here and now and I'm sure that the guilt would catch up to me if I don't help her, so wow she's not really giving a choice here isn't she?

"…Fine, I'll help", I said, slinging the bag full of my lifeblood over my shoulder as I extended a hand out towards the riajuu, "So, what are we supposed to do, Yuigahama-san?"

"Um…" She said, strangely falling silent as she glanced towards me with a guilty look on her face, "…Uh, for the moment…Can you let me stay at your place for one night?"

…What.


	18. 17 - Staying the Night

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 17 – Staying the Night

* * *

"Make yourself at home."

"O-Oh…Yeah, I-I'll do that…"

Why? Why is this situation happening? Are the gods just messing with me just to see how I would react? Ha! Unluckily for those arrogant twats, I am Hikigaya Hachiman – the one and only known man who can easily adapt to whatever monstrosity that life gives him! You think that I would despair over a single girl staying at my place for the night? Well guess what – I have a valid reason for doing so, mainly due to the idiocy of my airheaded…I'm pretty sure she and I aren't related but still, I shall explain my case to the jury!

For you see, the riajuu (defendant) known as Yuigahama Yui was stupid enough to _not_ bring her phone while going out on a goddamn _field trip,_ and it seems that her school has made emergency plans to change their lodgings due to an unknown incident that happened at the Izakaya Inn during the day! Not only that, but the idiot didn't even remember her teacher's number, and she can't even go to the police because (once again, due to her inherent idiocy) she forgot to bring some sort of identification on her! Wow, what an idiot, am I right? I think she deserves the death penalty for the sin of corrupting the gene pool with her idiocy! Right? Right!?

…Hah, there's no use arguing in the first place, since the idiot _actually_ made herself at home in a random stranger's apartment. Is it me, or was she seriously stupid enough to think that she'd get away from all of this just because she's cute?

Not that I was staring or anything, but anyone who just spared the idiot a single glance would know that it was the truth, "Just so you know, the Hikigaya Inn doesn't do free stays. You're going to have to pay for the service that I give in full by tomorrow."

"Son of a–"

"Ground rules first and foremost", I said, immediately cutting off the riajuu with a glare as she immediately froze in place, "No swearing. While I'm sure that people with low IQ like you would like to get their mouths loose every single chance they can get, you'll only get a BB pellet to your throat if you do such a thing."

"You're going to hit a lady?" The idiot said, shooting me a cold smirk as I simply smiled back at her, pulling out the air gun that I kept on my person and placed it on the kitchen counter after cocking it ominously, her brown eyes bugging out in fear as I simply opened the fridge and checked if there were any ingredients that I could– and _yes_ there was enough to make curry. Good thing I restocked my perishables just a week ago.

"I never lie", I simply said in return as the riajuu simply frowned at me and went back to watching television. Seriously, the least you could do is help here since you're technically living under my roof, right? I swear, kids nowadays just have _no_ respect for the hand that feeds them.

But wait. Since I was the same age as her, then doesn't that mean I also take advantage of my parents and Komachi's cooking? Wow, I was such an ungrateful bastard back then. Good thing that I was slowly changing bit by bit, even if I was only taking an inch forward every time that Nakamura pulls me out of some mess that I inadvertently get myself in. I guess I should thank her and every single person who stuck by my annoying-as-hell side.

Clearing my thoughts from my head as I started to cook, I saw the riajuu grasp a picture frame on the coffee table and wait I was pretty sure that I kept that hidden! Just what the hell was that picture doing there!? "How the hell does a guy like you get a beautiful girlfriend like her?"

You mean the picture that Nakamura forced me to take before we went back to Kunugigaoka? I raise an eyebrow at the idiot, "No. Just friends."

"Sure, keep on telling yourself that: 'just friends', he said", the idiotic riajuu said as she emphasized the words 'just friends' by making some air quotes. Seriously? _Really_? Here I am acting like a good-two-shoes and making her stay for the night with free food and lodgings, and _she_ has the gall to keep on pressing my buttons?

"Listen up here, you bitch", I said, snapping at her with a look of cold fury in my eyes as she met my gaze, "What's your problem with me? Here I am, helping you out of the goodness in my heart, but you just had the balls to be an ungrateful bitch. I'm not going to ask you again – what's your problem with me?"

The idiot stopped whatever she was doing, staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face before she pointed at the picture of Nakamura and wow you're just ignoring my questions, aren't you? "…I've never seen a guy casually clobber other people as if it was no one else's problem. You're not a…delinquent, aren't you?"

My mind flashed back towards what had happened during my field trip in Kyoto, and I can't help but snort as I shook my head, "I'm not stupid, so no."

"That sounds like what an idiot would say when he's confronted with his idiocy."

"I'm not even going to comment on that", I said with a sigh as I returned my focus back towards the curry that I was cooking. Glancing at the corner of my vision, I saw the riajuu looking at me with suspicion in her eyes, and I couldn't help but sigh at her as I started to let the curry simmer, "…I'm not a delinquent. There, happy now?"

"How did you knock out those guys, then?" She quickly replied whilst looking at me with curiosity laced in her tone, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her as I leaned on the counter and simply pointed towards the air gun that was sitting on top of it, "That's what not I meant! I was asking as to _how_ you were able to fire that thing at their throats without missing! Like what, are you an undercover assassin or something?"

…We might be able to pass for that since we're forced to keep whatever's going on in our classroom as a secret, but then again, we weren't supposed to tell anybody. Refuge in audacity, then, "What if I told you that me and my classmates were hired by the government to assassinate an octopus that can move at Mach 20, and what you saw earlier was me practicing out my moves on some unfortunate idiots?"

Silence reigned in the air for a few seconds as the riajuu simply blinked at me a few times before opening her mouth to speak, "That is the single most bullshit–"

" _Language,_ lady", I warned, once again tapping the air gun as she frowned at me and went back to watching the television, making me sigh at her in the process as I shook my head and went back towards the curry, seeing it close to boiling as I quickly turned off the heat and let it cool down, "And if you don't believe it, then don't. But do you honestly think that I'd tell you why? I mean, we're not even friends or anything – just some random strangers shacking up for a single night–"

"We are _not_ shacking up!" The riajuu said as she immediately stood up and glared at me as if the very idea was enough to make her throw up the contents of her stomach. And I agree – we aren't shacking up. It wasn't the most accurate of euphemisms, and I've got myself to blame for that, but…do you _seriously_ have to make it painful?

I could only nod at her whilst ignoring the arrow that had somehow pierced its way into my heart. How the hell did the comment even hit me? It's probably Gae Dearg or Bolg or something like that, "I agree. Now let's get some food."

My hands quickly made two servings out of the curry in the pot as I carried them over to the dining table, wherein the riajuu was currently seated. Once again, she looked at me with a suspicious sheen in her eyes and I can't help but roll my own eyes at her as I set down our meals on the table and quickly took my share, grasping the spoon in my hand as I momentarily paused before saying my thanks to the one who made the food (me obviously), "Thanks for the food."

As I began eating the fruits of my own labor, the riajuu shot me a weird look before she took her own food, "Ish kind ofhu werd that yah wehr thanken yershelf–"

"House rule number two: don't eat with your mouth full", I said, shooting her a cold glare after I had swallowed a bite of my meal, "It's kind of hard and annoying to try and decipher your words, and someone might be tempted to just shut your mouth up for all of eternity if they find you annoying enough – which is in most cases, _is._ "

I was beset by the riajuu's glare before she swallowed her food and slammed her arms on the table and hey! If I find even _one_ stain on _your_ part of the table then I'm going to make you suffer for your actions! And definitely _not_ in the way that you're currently thinking of right now! "Well aren't you rude!? Here I was, just wondering as to how someone as weak and pathetic as you could cook something so amazing, but then you _just_ had to go and insult me! Again! For like what, the fourteenth time this day!?"

She was keeping count? Woman, you should really be allocating that brainpower of yours to a more useful pursuit like a hobby or something. I mean seriously, does your (suspicious) stupidity extend _this_ far into your personality? Just how stupid are you, woman?

"…So you're not denying that you're weak and pathetic", she said more out of surprise than sarcasm as I simply kept silent and ate my meal in peace. Relax, Hikigaya Hachiman. This girl is an idiot. That's all you need to know about her, and that's all.

"Better to believe that for the moment, then", I said with a smirk as I gathered my plate and utensils while rising out of my seat, my hunger already satiated by just one serving of my own curry and we all know that I'm going to snack on the leftovers once the riajuu's sleeping. My cooking's delicious that way, "In any case, give me your plates when you're done. Just sleep on the couch for tonight, and I'll be bringing you some pillows and blankets later so just–"

"–Eh!? What do you mean that I'm just sleeping on the couch!?" The riajuu shrieked at me as I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. Seriously? "Don't you have a guest room here!? Why am I sleeping on the couch!?"

"One, because the guestroom is used as storage and there isn't any space for you to sleep in there", well it was a lie, but she wouldn't know that, "Two, why don't you just be grateful that I even spared the time and effort to take you in for the damn night? You _know_ I could've just kicked you out when I wanted to, right?"

 _Third, it's because the guest room is only and_ only _Komachi's room. Like I'd let a stinking, filthy riajuu like you to spend the night there like it was nothing!_

"Tch, meanie."

Are you a kid? Just by that reaction, I'm pretty sure that you're a kid, or an actual middle-schooler with a stunted mental growth. Seeing as to how mental growth of humanity has slowed down through the years due to the onset of technology taking care of some of humanity's most glaring problems, I'm pretty sure it's the latter.

I guess I was lucky that I kept a healthy relationship with technology. After all, it's not like I was addicted to my Vita-chan, nor do I spend unhealthy amounts of time on my phone. Indeed, my relationship with technology is perfectly healthy and common sense what did we say about tripping myself up in front of the audience?

…Giving me the silent treatment, huh? Well two can play at that game.

I went into my room, rummaging through one of the spare drawers and found a spare pillow and blanket, and if you want to know why I still had it there even if Komachi could use them whenever she came here well…Let's just say my memory was a blank slate at that time, and I could only diagnose myself with trauma.

Quickly making my way back towards the living room, I saw the riajuu once again reclined on the couch, munching on some of the snacks that she had probably gotten on the dining table as she idly switched channels for something interesting to look at. I'm sorry lady, but your idiocy won't help you now as the timeslots are all about news shows. Pretty informative if you ask me, so could you _please_ stop switching the goddamn channels like it's your own television? "Oi."

She perked up, quickly whirling around towards my direction as her face collided with a pillow and a blanket, making me smirk at the sight as I took a seat on one of chairs in the dining table, "You…! Just how far are you going to piss me off!?"

"It's much more productive for you to just ignore my insults and pretend they never happened. Ever thought about that?" I asked the riajuu in front of me as she simply hung her mouth open, as if she had never heard of the suggestion before. Seriously, how idiotic is this girl?

"O-Oh…"

"Don't just 'oh' me, you damn idiot. Do you seriously have no brain cells inside your head whatsoever?" I barked at her, "Is your head made out of nothing but thin air to balance out those huge weights in front of you–"

–I blink, easily catching the pillow that she threw at me as she immediately stood off the couch and glared at me with the force of a thousand suns, "You damn pervert! You were just looking at my chest, weren't you!?"/

"Who'd want to take a look at a pig's chest–?" This time, I caught the porcelain cup that she threw at me in mid-air and hey! This is expensive! If you break this thing, _you're_ going to pay for it, with interest! "–I prefer humans, thank you very much. Not pigs."

She kept silent as she coldly glared at me with her dark brown eyes, a smirk forming on my face as I threw the pillow back at her and gingerly placed the porcelain cup at the dining table, "Looks like you're learning quickly. Then, good night to you…"

"Yuigahama Yui!"

"Then, good night, Yuigahama-san", I said, slowly walking back towards my own room under the watchful gaze of the first guest of the Hikigaya Inn. As I reached the door to my room, I glanced back towards the living room to see the riajuu still staring at me like a person with paranoia.

Seriously. If I wanted to do something, then I would've done it a long time ago, "…What?'

"What do you mean 'what'?"

"You were obviously staring at me, woman", I said as I gave the riajuu a blank look, watching her flinch and avert my gaze, "…That look on your face says that you're trying to ask me some questions, so just spit it out already and I could get some sleep."

"Then…" The riajuu said, staring at me with an unreadable expression on her face as I simply raised an eyebrow at her to try and get her to continue, "…Why did you help me in the first place?"

I blink, stopping in my tracks as I stared at the riajuu with wide eyes, her chocolate eyes boring deep into my own as I couldn't help but slowly blink at her, a thin smile forming on my face as her expression turned into one out of suspicion as I opened the door to my room and turned the latch shut.

"…Sometimes, I find it within myself to not question the decisions that I make."

[–|–]

My eyes shot open, my instincts telling me that danger was inbound in an instant as I immediately threw the covers off my bed and opened the door to my room in an instant, finding…nothing in the hallway? What? This was weird. My [Danger Sense] is working perfectly at a hundred percent, so why was it ringing in my ears like I was about to be drawn and quartered?

"Onii-chan!" A voice coming from somewhere above my apartment immediately took away the foggy haze that clouded my mornings as the gears in my mind whirred and clicked into place in less than a second, the blood slowly draining away from my face.

Right, that riajuu was here. Considering typical riajuu behavior, she won't wake up until I take drastic measures, and the fact that I hear Komachi's voice from the door already means that it's already too late for that idiotic riajuu to just scram before my relatives arrive. And there is no way in hell that I would let my parents and Komachi (most _definitely_ Komachi) get some weird misunderstanding about my brief stint as the innkeeper to the family inn.

So, all that I needed to do basically was to just hide her _somewhere_ until we leave. But then again, leaving her all alone in my own apartment is a decision bad enough for me to just throw that option out of the window immediately…So, what to do, Hikigaya Hachiman? You can't just let your family see her, and you might as well not just _hide_ her in your own damn apartment until the rest of your family goes away since they'll be here for the whole day, so you might as well just give up and suck up the consequences of my own decisions.

With a defeated sigh coming out of my battered body, I slowly shuffled towards the door that lead to my apartment, opening it sluggishly as I was greeted with a smiling Komachi, who was currently staring at me with her signature doe eyes, huge grin, and the salute that she always did whenever she wanted to be annoying as hell.

"Oh", I said, blocking the doorway to hide the riajuu's sleeping form from Komachi's sharp gaze, "…Good morning, Komachi. Did I ever tell you that you came in too early? I mean, it' still seven in the morning, you know?"

"Well, _I_ like to spend my time with family, so I made sure that I stopped by earlier than usual!" She said in a jovial tone as I couldn't help but smile at her.. Yeah, kids will always be kids, wouldn't they? "Hm? What's wrong, onii-chan? You look more tired and jaded than your usual tired and jaded self!"

"A friend of mine stayed over for the weekend – you know, sleepover and stuff", I said with a yawn as Komachi gazed at me with a blank look on her face, "She's still sleeping though, so it wouldn't hurt to keep your voice down for the moment–"

"Onii-chan", Komachi said, immediately making me snap my mouth shut as I stared at her with a mixture of shock and wait, what's this bloodlust that I feel? Komachi-chan, you're not the one who's forced to kill an octopus moving at Mach 20, so how did you learn that skill? From me? I'd like to praise myself as a good teacher, but if one of my techniques is being used against me, then it's not really that satisfying, you know!? "…Is Nakamura-san there?"

"Wait, how did you come up with that answer right away?" I said, more out of surprise rather than anything else as Komachi smiled at me as if she was signing off my death sentence. I mean, it's nice to see that people come up with assumptions of their own, but do you _really_ think that witch would willingly go for a sleepover?

…Now that I think about it, it's right in her personality to do so, "Komachi has a way of finding out things, onii-chan. Did you wear protection?"

 _Oh._ So _that's_ what the idiot's talking about, "Komachi, even I could get angry if you try to insinuate that something happened between me and Nakamura, you know?"

Seriously, we're just friends. Like hell I'm going to break that by doing something incredibly stupid which would most likely get me killed like an idiot. Pissing off a friend is not far off from what I'd do, but pissing off a friend who's been tasked to hunt down a Mach 20 octopus isn't really a wise choice, "Tch. You're so boring, onii-chan. This is probably the reason why you can't get any girls even though you're _so_ much more handsome than before."

I could already her hear screaming 'Kyaa! That's a ton of Komachi points for me!' or something like that. Why am I dealing with this on an early morning again? Right, because I don't want her to find out that an unknown riajuu's sleeping here. Damn, I hate mornings.

"Can it", I snapped at her as I opened the door for her to enter, glancing out of the corner of my eye to see that the riajuu had disappeared. Good. I would _not_ like to explain the sudden appearance of an unknown gril rummaging in my apartment, "Well, make yourself at home. Where's Mom and Dad?"

"Shopping for something, apparently", she said as she rolled her eyes at the absentee parents, "I mean, getting a present for you is nice and all, but why can't they see that the greatest present out of all is seeing your smile?"

She's _really_ racking up Komachi points here, isn't she? "Thanks, Komachi-chan. How about I make you some food for the moment while you go watch television or something?"

"Thanks, onii-chan!" She said, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek as she quickly made herself at home on the couch and wait did my little sister just…! Komachi, I know that I'm supposed to be happy about this, but now I'm afraid that you'll just kiss everyone that you meet! This is getting dangerous, you know!

…Well, I _did_ receive a kiss from my dear little sister after all, so I might as well just stop moping around and pull out the stops for her. It wasn't as if she visits every day after all, so I want her rare visits here to be as memorable as those times wherein I would let her take me out for some ice cream or something. You know, the small, memorable bits and pieces that would never go away even if you try to.

And so, I hummed while I cooked – a relatively rare occasion for me as I set upon making breakfast. Meanwhile, Komachi was staring at me with a weird expression on her face, as if she wanted to ask me something but couldn't, "What is it, Komachi?"

"Onii-chan, you said that Nakamura-san went on a sleepover, right?"

"Mhmm", I replied as I nodded, wondering as to where this conversation was going as I glanced towards my little sister, who was sitting on the couch with a smug grin on her face, the blanket and pillow that I had given to the riajuu still haphazardly laid around the damn thing. Luckily, I had enough self-control to keep my expression the same way it was a second earlier, which meant that Komachi didn't get the satisfaction of seeing my flustered face.

Ha! Two can play at that game, my little sister! And I have more experience in this than you! "She left early in the morning. Probably before I woke up or something."

"Is that a reason to just leave without even cleaning up?" Komachi said with a sigh as she shook her head in disappointment, "Onii-chan, I'm kind of worried for you, alright? I know you just want to be an unassuming househusband, but that doesn't excuse you to pick a girlfriend that doesn't know how to take care of herself."

"Like I told you", I said with a roll of my eyes as I continued on cooking, "We're just friends."

"Suuure", she said, the sarcasm in her tone making me sigh at her in exasperation as she flipped through the channels, "Friends don't inform their family about a sleepover, and they would obviously clean up after sleeping over, not just leave in a rush like they're guilty about something."

At last! A spark of intelligence from my beautiful little sister! Onii-chan should be proud of you right now, but now's not the time since I _do_ have something to hide from you!

But still! I knew that blonde witch's personality like the back of my own hand! Therefore, what I was about to say next is within the realm of possibility! "Eh. She's a slob, so it's not outside the realm of possibility for her to just leave her stuff lying all over the place before she left. She's probably thinking that I'd take care of her mess – and she would be right – but that witch also needs to learn how to take care of herself, you know?"

As I finished up on my cooking and began to serve Komachi's breakfast, I could feel her cold gaze trying to burn away my exterior as she moved it towards a peculiar hallway, her index finger outstretched as I was forced to crane my neck towards the direction that Komachi pointed in, my jovial expression immediately turning into a cold glare and a desperate scowl as I recognized the figure who had just appeared out of my room.

No doubt about it – it was the riajuu that had stayed over for the night.

"Onii-chan", Komachi's voice rang throughout my ears, but this time it was as cold as Hell itself, "…Who is she?"

* * *

Omake – How Stupid Can an Airhead Be?

* * *

"You!" The riajuu screamed, pointing at me with her index finger as I sighed in exasperation and gave her a blank stare. Seriously, this woman is annoying me so much that I'm having second thoughts on inviting her to the Hikigaya Inn. Why don't you give the innkeeper his privacy again?

"What?"

"T-T-T-This is a scam!" She once again screamed, her hazel eyes widening as she stared at me like a ghost, "Why are you wearing glasses!? Why do you look handsome while you're wearing them!? Is this some kind of trick or something!?"

Spare me from this suffering, _please_. Anyone _please_ come and save me from this unreasonable bitch, "No. And stop talking. Do you want to find where your _actual_ lodgings are or not?"

"…Fine", she acquiesced, quickly moving towards the chair beside me as she looked at the laptop that I was using for a few seconds before turning back towards me, "So, how are you going to find where was I supposed to stay?"

"What's your school's name?" I asked, not even bothering to answer her question as she would receive her own answers as we go on. Well, if she wasn't stupid, that is.

"Yunamoto Middle School", she replied, making me nod at her as I quickly pulled up a search engine and inputted her school's name, the website immediately appearing as one of the first results that I had gotten, wherein the short description under the link specified that the school was located in Chiba City. Good – my whole task just made it a lot easier.

I quickly clicked the link as I was transported towards the riajuu's website, immediately searching out the latest news that they had on the school as I was lucky to fish out an article that pertained to a recent school trip into lo and behold: the same place where Kunigigaoka was.

Without missing a beat, I quickly clicked on the article's link and using the web browser's search function, immediately found the riajuu's name on the list of students that were included in the field trip, quickly checking out the name of their homeroom teacher as I linked it to a tab on the tab on the school website that focused on the school's faculty and staff, immediately noting down the teacher's number as I quickly gave the slip of paper to the riajuu beside me.

"There's your teacher's number", I said, not noticing the wide eyes that the riajuu gave me as I brought out my phone and placed it in front of her, "Call her _now._ Explain your situations, don't leave any details out in order to not cause any misunderstandings, and in order for that to happen you're calling her _here_ , directly in front of me. Got that?"

"Y-Yeah…" She said, averting my gaze as I couldn't help but smirk at her, taking my phone from my hands as she immediately dialed the number that was written on a slip of paper, the ringtone blaring across the quiet apartment as she simply stared at me with a blank look on her face.

"…Is this Pretty Cure?"

"Your teacher's answering", I said, quickly deflecting the statement into nonexistence, "Now go talk to her. I'm pretty sure any responsible teacher would be worried sick when a student gets lost."

As the minutes pass with the verbal exchange between her and her teacher, I couldn't help but immerse myself in the wonders of modern technology, the amount of tabs on my _other_ web browser enough to keep me awake for far longer than when I would normally sleep. Today was a Friday after all, which meant no school – well technically no school to those who didn't have any clubs, and that meant that I would be enjoying my sweet spot in my very own apartment.

I blinked as a finger tapped my shoulder, whirling around to see the riajuu handing out my phone back to me as I simply raised an eyebrow at it and took it back, "So, what did your teacher say?"

"She said that she'd come by tomorrow, since she was busy keeping the other students in line", the riajuu said, quickly averting my gaze as she fiddled her thumbs. Alright, just what the hell had come over this riajuu? "…And…she said 'good luck' or something like that…"

I groaned. Teachers. Always looking for gossip in the most unexpected of places. Sometimes, I'd like to think that her teacher and Korosensei are like two peas in a pod.

* * *

 **AN: Really sorry for the long update. My laptop got broken beyond all recognition and I'm pretty sure even the Infinity Gauntlet can't _fix_ the damn thing, so any other chapters after this is going to come out a little bit slower than normal. The omake's an apology for all of those readers who were starving for more content since I know (being an avid reader myself) that everyone loves the omakes and the bonuses. Unless they're substandard. But why would I do that?**


	19. 18 - Attaining an Answer

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 18 – Attaining an Answer

* * *

If one were to recall situations wherein one could literally cut the tension in the air, it would most definitely be the times wherein we would be assassinating Korosensei. Somehow, ever single escaped that we have done in the name of killing the yellow-skinned octopus was a roller-coaster ride of emotions, feelings, and thoughts that went around, sideways, vertical, diagonal, in every direction that one can think of – _including_ the directions in an M.C Escher painting, as mind-boggling as they were.

However, this tension in the air as of the moment…You could say that you could only cut it with a combination of a water jet, diamond-coated tungsten carbide shears, and a two gigawatt laser. _That_ was how thick the tension in the air is right now.

"Onii-chan." Contestant number one from the Hikigaya corner, we have the all-around adorable little sister, Hikigaya Komachi!

"Who are you?" Contestant number two, coming from the blue corner…we have the curvy middle-schooler in the same year level as me...What's her name again? I just can't seem to remember it, no matter how much I try. It might be a self-defense mechanism against riajuus, as a way of spiting them by making sure that they register more as nothing but an insect in your radar.

"Onii-chan, why do I suddenly find you shacking up with a girl?" Komachi dear, this isn't what you would call 'shacking up'. Really, do you think your older brother has the guts in order to ask a girl to shack up with me? I might have the rest of my digestive organs, but I'm pretty sure the miscellaneous stuff is missing, you know?

"She's the first guest in the Hikigaya Inn", I said, watching the glower form on my little sister as I can't help but sigh and glance away from her, wishing that I had said nothing, "…Which is, as you can see, a lost venture starting day two."

"I can tell." Komachi, what did I tell you about using the monotone? You're only supposed to do that when a family member commits something not quite synonymous to the family's moral compass, right? Then why are you using the monotone on me? Aren't we Hikigayas supposed to help out a stranger in need of housing whenever they feel like it? Why are you looking at me like I'm some sort of trash? You know, I'm going to have to sue you for libel and defacing my name if you keep on doing that, you know?

"Well, she said that she didn't know where her school's supposed to be staying out for the night, so I invited her into the house", I replied in a bland tone as Komachi narrowed her eyes at me, as if using her body as some sort of lie detector in order to see whether my words were simply lies or much-more complicated half-truths.

"…Really, onii-chan", Komachi said with a disappointed sigh as she leaned back and let herself relax, "At this rate, you're going to be played by some damsel in distress that just wants your money or something like that. Komachi's going to be _really_ worried if this keeps up, you know? Ah, I bet that got me a ton of Komachi points."

"Your concern is noted, my dear imouto", I said with a thin smile on my face as I let Komachi be drowned in her own pool of happiness, glancing towards my side to see the riajuu still staring at us with a…disgusted expression on her face? Wait, what? "Let's get going. Might as well kill two birds with one stone if you join with us–"

"Sis-con?"

A whiff of air resounded throughout my apartment as Komachi snapped out of her trance, staring at me with a dumbfounded expression on my face as I casually hid the air gun back into my sleeve, "Well, let's go. Like I said, it would be best for us to kill two birds with one stone if we go to town together. Komachi and I can have our little sibling time, and you can go to your school's own lodgings. It's a win-win for us all."

"Onii-chan, was it just me or did you just had a gun pointed towards her for a second there?"

"There was no such thing", I replied with a smile as I nudged the riajuu beside me to get going, watching her stiff expression while stifling a laugh on my part as I followed behind the two girls, locking the apartment behind me as I can't help but glance at them in the corner of my eye. Somehow, I can't help but shudder when I see the two immediately getting along like they were sisters.

…I'm seriously starting to get some solid evidence that my theory of riajuus being idiots was true…

Actually, now that I think about it, get away from my sister, you damn riajuu! You're infecting her with your idiocy! And stop getting too close to her, damn it! You're going to make other people misunderstand about your relationship, which should be nothing more than strangers!

"Onii-chan, what are you doing just standing there acting like an idiot?"

"…Why are you glaring at me?"

Goddamn it! The two idi– girls are now talking in sync! What's next, them performing strange motions and they transform into magical girls or something!? No! I will deny them the PreCure action, and just make sure that they end up in the world of Puella Magi!

"Let's just go", I said with an exasperated sigh as I took a swig of the MAXX Coffee that I brought with me as I closed my eyes and enjoyed the rush of sugar for all that it was worth. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to need all the sugar that I can get in order to survive the day.

I sighed, taking note of the particularly sweltering heat that seemed to be emanating from ever single object around me, as evidenced by the increased rate in which I seemed to be sipping my coffee can. I felt like dragging my feet through the asphalt, but then again, I would hate going back and finding out that my soles have been shaved off by centimeters due to the rubber sticking to the hot asphalt.

With sweat continuously running down the side of my face and all the while testing my patience due to the humid atmosphere, my mood took the turn for the worse. It was only a matter of time before my metaphorical bubble of patience burst, and oh _boy_ am I regretting spending time outside today. I mean, less than thirty minutes of walking around town and my stash of MAXX Coffee is already gone. Just…wow. Just, wow.

"Ah, we better take a break for a while", Komachi said, turning towards the riajuu with a smile on her face, "Onii-chan's about to kick the bucket, after all, with that face he's making right now."

"Ugh, you're already tired? We're just walking for like what, two kilometers or something?" The riajuu said while making a disgusted face at me and oi, care to repeat that again? I dare you repeat that again. The fact is that I'm only able to walk for two kilometers because I don't really feel like walking. If I got myself into it, then I'm pretty sure I can carry you and walk ten times the distance that we're walking right now, you bitch! Alright, now I'm fired up! Want me to do it right now, huh!?

"There's one of those shrines up ahead; we could take shade under one of those, though the only problem is that…"

"He, worry not, my dear Komachi-chan", I said, raising my voice as I tried to act cool in front of my dear sister…which promptly backfired given the way that she stared at me if I was trash. No, don't worry, Hachiman! I'm pretty sure she's just misunderstanding something! "If it's for you, then I'll do anything – even climbing up this set of stairs! Ah, I bet that got me a ton of Hachiman points."

"Onii-chan, maybe we should schedule that talk about your disgusting behavior sooner rather than later."

"Uwaaa…Komachi-chan, is it me or is your brother acting like a total creep right now…"

…I'm going to cry if this keeps up, you know. Hikigaya Hachiman has a heart of glass, no matter how much he looks unbreakable on the outside, you know?

"Let's just get this over with", I said, swearing under my breath as I grunted and began taking up my first steps towards the shrine above me. Woo, go Hachiman! Two steps down, possibly nine hundred and ninety-seven steps more to go! At a rate of two steps per second, it would approximately take eight and a half minutes for me to reach to the top! This is nothing compared to the training that Karasuma-sensei puts us through! I mean, who the hell tells us to march around the satellite campus two hundred times in a single hour!? Utterly ridiculous!

A few minutes later, I found myself standing in the shrine grounds, followed up by Komachi and the riajuu who came up a few minutes later, looking utterly haggard and staring at me with an incredulous look in their eyes, "H-How the hell are you…even here f-first!? Y-You aren't even looking haggard a-at all!"

"What do you mean? I jog ten times this distance every morning", I said, watching their faces pale at my sudden admission as I couldn't help but smirk while watching their reactions. Heh, what idiots. I'm pretty sure only Karasuma-sensei can do that without even breaking a sweat. Korosensei counts, but that octopus isn't exactly human, so you get my point here.

"Lies."

"Of course it is", I said with a dismissive shrug in response to Komachi's statement, "Do you really think that I would be able to accomplish ten laps without breaking a sweat? My record here's three laps."

"Onii-chan, perhaps we should schedule a meeting regarding your lack of common sense sooner rather than later."

"Even you can do it with enough training and hard work, Komachi!"

"No! I don't want to become a musclehead like you, onii-chan!" Komachi screamed in abject horror as she immediately hid behind the riajuu, unknowingly causing me to smile wider than what I could ever do as I couldn't help but try to glue together the pieces of my broken heart.

"…I see."

Ignoring the pain in my heart, I stepped through the shrine grounds and scanned around, seeing people idly milling about the shrine grounds in small groups, with some wearing the same thing that the riajuu wore right now and looked like the same age as her…

…There is no way that something as coincidental as taking shelter at a shrine would lead to some kind of forced clichéd development such as this! "Onii-chan, you know it's kind of creepy for you to stare at a group of girls without any context?"

"Is my shadiness level that high?" I can't help but fire back as I glanced towards the riajuu, who seems to be wearing her uniform. Did this girl not bathe? What the hell, woman! "It's just that their uniforms looked familiar, especially so since this riajuu here is wearing a uniform that is exactly like the one that you see those girls wearing."

"Hey, I have a name, you know!?"

"As expected of onii-chan, your observation skill is so high! Kya, I bet that got me a lot of Komachi points!"

"The fact that you insulted me before you complimented me nulls the effect of the flattery, you know", I deadpan as I watched Komachi's falling expression with a victorious smirk. Ha, it seems that my verbal skill has _not_ been getting rusty! I think!

"In any case, it seems that we found your friends, riajuu", I said, once again ignoring the fact that the riajuu was once again berating me for forgetting her name as I led the way towards the shrine itself, "Why don't you go towards them and leave me and my sister alone to our own devices? I'm pretty sure that every part involved would like such an outcome."

"Onii-chan, at the rate you're going, you're never going to get a girl, you know", Komachi said with a disgusted expression on her face, but still followed me nonetheless with a riajuu in tow, "…Ah, wait. Didn't you say something about having a girlfriend before?"

"EH!?"

"Nakamura's just Nakamura", I said as I tried to make sure that my ears were still working over the riajuu's [Banshee] skill, "She's nothing more than a blonde-haired witch that's a friend, that's all. As for Kanzaki…well, let's just say that I don't want to be associated with her, but sadly, I still am nonetheless."

"Onii-chan, you're two-timing?"

"You think I'm the type to do that?"

"If you can get something out of both relationships, yes."

"…I see", I said, looking at my little sister with fear in my eyes as I shook my head and forced myself to continue on walking. Komachi-chan, I think you're scaring me due to the fact that you can read me so easily. Indeed, I view of relationships as give-and-take! If there is something to be gained by both parties that they lack in themselves, then it is indeed a perfect ground for a relationship to form! I am not justifying compensated dating in the slightest!

"Well, we're here", I said, ending our short trip from the torii to the main hall as I scrounged my pockets for my wallet, pulling out a five-yen coin as I quickly threw it towards the offertory box, ringing the bell for two times and clapping my hands together twice as I closed my eyes and wished.

Normally, I would never do such a thing as relying on something as a system aiming to take the people's five-yen coins for something as trivial as a wish, but that was just the ramblings of my old mindset. I knew know that I needed all the help I could get, even if I needed to get a little bit into superstition in order to do so.

 _May I find the answer that I am seeking for._

"Onii-chan, I've been thinking about it just now, but you're changing aren't you?" I was snapped out of my self-induced trance, by Komachi, who had just finished making her wish in turn as she had a smile plastered on her face, "For the better, if one were to specifically ask. I bet that got me a ton of Komachi points."

"And that you did", I said, giving a smile to my sister in turn as I rubbed her head, the satisfied giggles of my little sister making me feel like I was in cloud nine before I caught myself and quickly turned towards the riajuu, who was currently talking with her peers. I was about to leave her alone and just spend the rest of the day with Komachi, until I saw the domineering smirks on her peers' faces and the slightest of a forlorn expression on the riajuu's, "…Komachi, wait a moment, will you?"

"Playing the hero again?" My little sister said as I blinked and turned towards her, a playful snort coming out from her nose as she gave me another smile, "You never grow up do you, onii-chan?"

"What can I say?" I smirked back as I put on my glasses and my bonnet that Nakamura gifted me as I took out my phone and made sure I didn't look like a slob, "It's just a side hobby of mine."

With the quick fix-up done, I shot a smirk towards Komachi as I made my way towards the spot wherein I saw the riajuu, my mind racing through the memories of the past day or two as I tried to identify her name. A few seconds later, I reached the haranguing group, placing a hand on the riajuu's shoulder as she immediately turned around under the incredulous stares of her peers, "How did you even find me–"

She was silent. Everyone was silent as I met gazes with the riajuu, who was suddenly turning a very bright shade of pink, "Yui, we still need to find your teacher, you know? Just talk to your friends later."

"H-H-H-H-H-H-H–" Oh no, this isn't good. Better get her out of here this instant before she overheats and I'm the only one left to explain everything, "Eh!?"

Thus, I quickly took her to the back of the shrine's main hall, quickly placing her right in front of me as I removed my accessories and glared at her, "What were you trying to do there, you idiot?"

"H-huh? I-It's actually just you? Not some kind of hunk that tried to hit on me just a moment ago? S-Somehow, it's kind of disappointing– I mean, what were you trying to do there, you idiot!? Can't you see I was just catching up with my friends!?"

"Look here, you were being slaughtered out there in the open under the stares of those jerks", I said, tightening my voice to keep any kinds of emotions from spilling out. Damn her for all I care, but I'm not letting someone go through what I had gone before, "If I didn't pull you out there, you would've been shamed right in front of the whole shrine. Do you seriously want that?"

The riajuu was about to fire something back as realization flashed through her eyes, pursing her lips in the process as she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out of it until a few seconds later, "…Why? Why would they do that to me?"

"Do you think that they'll honestly tell you? What you need to focus on right now is the fact that you're being ostracized from their little group. The 'how' or 'why' isn't relevant, but the situation just 'is'. The question is what you're going to do from now on", I said, watching anger smolder through her expression as she glared at me with her hazel eyes. Who knew that they could hold so much fire in them, especially given how she normally acts?

"Why are you even butting in!? I could hold myself on my own, so why do you think that it's your business to just stick yourself in my life and help me out!? Do you seriously think that you're some kind of cool guy or something for being able to help out a girl like me!? Huh!?"

"You're not even facing the question properly–"

"Answer me!"

I caught my breath and stopped myself at lashing out right then and there, forcing my anger down as I let the gears turn inside my mind. Indeed, why was I even butting into her problem? If she could just handle the situation just fine, then why was I even helping her in the first place? Was it my responsibility to help out each and every single person that I know just because I knew how it felt to be out of touch with society? I'm pretty sure that my future self would just tell me that there's only Hell awaiting that path, and I knew and agree with him wholeheartedly if he every shows up. Yet, why am I still helping? Was it truly just because I didn't want someone else to suffer the same way that I did, or was it something else?

It was on the spur of the moment that I had stepped in to help, when I saw the flash of emotions that were written on her face back then. My mind flashed that moment in my eyes, with each emotion being drawn to me clear as day as I let out an exasperated sigh, "…Sadness, anger, worry, regret, and most of all – betrayal. Those were the emotions that I saw on your face when I decided to step in."

The riajuu took a step back as she met my gaze, stone cold and yet burning with an unearthly fire at the same time as I took the chance to step forward, "I didn't step in because it was the right thing to do. I didn't step in because I could laud myself as a hero from saving a girl from trouble. I only stepped in because of a selfish wish that I had, that I never wanted to see someone else go through the same pain and suffering as I had been."

"Why do so many people refuse to accept help from others nowadays?. Is it due to pride, thinking that they'll be able to handle the problem all by themselves?" She took one more step back, and I used it to push myself forward, "Or was it due to the fact that in their times of desperation, all that they could see from the people around them are hidden motive lurking beneath the surface?"

"One can only discern a person's true intentions when they're cast in the pits of hell", I said, a haunted look crossing my gaze for the first time as flashes of the past appeared inside my mind's eye: the taunts, the jeers, the whispers that never let me go of my blunder, "I've been through the hell and managed to climb out of it, but I always look back at the pit of which I rose out from, and I could only think of making sure that anyone doesn't suffer the same way as I did."

She stopped in place, most likely due to the tree behind her, yet I stepped in closer, lowering my voice to a whisper as I growled at her, "If you don't want my help, then that's fine. If you think that you can handle yourself in that situation, then that's fine. All that you need to know is that if you find yourself in such a situation again…I'll come."

I let out an exasperated sigh, shaking my head towards the riajuu in front of me as I quickly turned around and left, and as I turned around the corner, I saw the riajuu's entire posse staring at me with wide eyes, their mouths hanging open due to witnessing what just happened earlier as I couldn't help but release a snarl at them.

"Next time, say what you need to say to their faces, you fucking bitches. Your kind disgusts me."

With that line, I swiftly left the group and met up with Komachi in the entrance of the main hall, a knowing grin forming on her face as I surmised that she already knew what had just transpired. Somehow, I couldn't help but release a tired sigh at the prospect of accompanying her for the rest of the day, seeing as that I would most definitely be teased about what I just did.

[–|–]

"Your kind disgusts me", Komachi said, keeping her voice low in a tone reminiscent of my own as I can't help but bury my face in my hands, letting out a frustrated sigh as removed my hands and let my head be slammed onto the desk, "Onii-chan, are you sure that you aren't a cool guy with all of the stunts that you've been pulling now? I mean, it's not just every day you see a guy shamelessly insult girls right in front of their faces, you know? Ah, I bet that got me a lot of Komachi points!"

"No, you just decreased them with what you just did", I fired back with a grumble, ignoring Komachi's distressed actions as I can't help but mull over the thoughts that I had in my mind since earlier.

I didn't want anyone to experience what I've been through. That means that I'm willing to help someone who was experiencing the same events that I had been through without any kind of recompense whatsoever. Even if the help was unwanted, even if me being there could be seen as intrusive, I would still help.

Then, what about Kanzaki and her family problems? Was I willing to help her with that, even if it came at the cost of her abhorring me for sticking my head in matters of other people? It was the question that had plagued me ever since the school trip, yet I was only able to answer it now, after I had helped the riajuu known as Yuigahama Yui out of my own will, regardless of the consequences that it may bring.

And my answer was yes. I'd be willing to help her in any way I can, "So, have you decided on your orders?"

I blinked, recognizing the voice as familiar as I craned my neck upwards; recognizing the familiar raven black hair and amber eyes, yet why was she wearing a waitress's outfit? Was she working here? Didn't she know that it was literally in the school rules to _not_ have a part-time job? I mean, Isogai's in the E-Class for doing so, you know? What makes you think you can bend the rules and get away with it, madam? "Kanzaki?"

"Oh? You must have me pegged for someone else, Hachiman." Oi! You were about to play off the 'I-don't-know-you-here' card perfectly, but you _just_ had to call me by my given name! Damn it, you were so close, you idiot! Wait, that's not the train of thought I was supposed to be going! I mean, what the hell are you doing here!?

"Ah, it's Yukiko-san!" Komachi screamed out in surprise as her eyes widened in response to what she was wearing, "Kya! You're so beautiful in that waitress wear, Yukiko-san! As expected of onii-chan's girlfriend!"

""I would rather die than get into a relationship with him/her.""

"Ah, you two are in sync! As expected of people in a relationship!"

"I'm going to have to educate you real soon as to what exactly should you expect from a relationship as soon as we leave, Komachi", I immediately fired back as Komachi stared at me with a blank look on her face, obviously miffed as my rebuffing of her expectations.

"This coming from a guy who has no girlfriend." Gah!? K-Komachi, underhanded low blows like that are the exact reason why I'm docking points from you, you know!? Your onii-chan has received critical damage from that statement, plus I'm receiving the damage twice since you just poked at my inability to find a girlfriend! That means that I just received four times the ordinary damage, you know!?

Damn it, even Kanzaki's laughing too, you know!? "Oi, are you sure you won't get caught working? You'll never get out of the E-Class if they catch onto you, you know?"

"Thanks for the concern, but I don't think I want to get out of the E-Class anytime soon", Kanzaki said, shooting me a smile as my eyes flashed with a dangerous light. Don't tell me she told Komachi all about what's going on in the damn classroom! "…Since you know, Hachiman's there."

"Number one, that's creepy – please get away from me as far as possible", I said, immediately cutting off Komachi for her to not get any idea that could be misconstrued from whatever she said earlier, "And second, who gave you permission to call me by my given name?"

"I did, since it would be confusing to call you 'Hikigaya' since Komachi-chan's also here", Kanzaki said while giving me a smile as I could only scowl at her in the process.

"You already call Komachi by her given name, so just call me Hikigaya", I replied back without fanfare as I saw Kanzaki's brow twitch ever-so slightly, probably already being annoyed by my antics as I couldn't help but smirk at her.

"…Then, Komachi-chan, what do you like to order?" Kanzaki asked with a smile on her face as she began scribbling down Komachi's order, a heaping order of omelet rice and chicken as I couldn't help but grimace at her. After all, I was pretty sure that I was going to pay for this meal, so she must've known about it beforehand and thus wanted me to waste my money on buying her stuff. Now that I think about it, wasn't my little sister scary?

"Alright, I got your order. Would you mind waiting for fifteen minutes?" Kanzaki said as Komachi nodded in return, bowing at my little sister as she excused herself from our table.

…Oi. Did she just leave? "Once again onii-chan, you fail to understand the complexity of a maiden's heart."

"All I need to understand a maiden's heart is to understand yours. Ah, I'm sure that must've gotten me a ton of Hachiman points", I said in the blandest tone that I could possibly think of as Komachi puffed out her cheeks at me and grumbled, making me smirk in the process, "…In any case, I think I'll be leaving for the moment. I need to find another place to get my food, since our waiter just bailed on us for some reason."

I stood up from my chair and quickly made my way out of the establishment, only to be quickly stopped by the same waiter who bailed out on me as she held my forearm in a vice grip, "Ah, where do you think you're going, Hachiman?"

"To a place wherein I could buy some food without someone standing up on me and could you release my arm, please? I ignored it at first, but it's starting to hurt like hell now, you know?"

"I guess this should teach you a lesson about trying to escape from situations all the time", Kanzaki said in a happy tone as the grip on my forearm grew tighter and madam you're killing me, please stop. I would not like my cause of death to be due to blood loss caused by an angry woman, "Luckily, the fee for this lesson is just your lunch, but I'm sure that you could stand it, right? You're a _man,_ after all."

"I call double standards!" I screamed at her, now trying to pull away my arm from her grip as I immediately caught my breath and realized that I was just helping her rip my hand off my arm, "It's not like I have a particularly large pain tolerance, so I'd really like it if you just stop trying to rip my arm off, you know!?"

"You'll be fine", Kanzaki said with the same smile still on her face as she slowly pulled me back in towards my table, "I just forgot that you were there, is all, so I just blanked out and didn't take your order. So, what kind of sorcery have you been up to this time so that even I can't see you even if you're just sitting in front of your sister?"

Are you trying to take my order or interrogating me about the first and most polished of my [108 Skills]!? "I'll be taking a hamburger set and a coffee shake, thank you very much."

"That's not called answering my question, though", Kanzaki replied with a frown on her face as she gave an exasperated sigh, "…So, is that all what you're going to be ordering for, Hachiman?"

"Just one thing", I said, the gears in my mind whirring into action as I tried to figure out how to say it, all the while ignoring the curious stare that Kanzaki gave me as I snapped my fingers in realization, "…Your cooperation."

Kanzaki tilted her head to the side as her amber eyes stared at me curiously, though it was more akin to what a scientist does when it was looking at a result that was completely unexpected to her hypothesis, "For what?"

"Helping you with your family problems", I immediately replied, watching as her amber eyes glazing over for an instant as it quickly receded, a thin smile forming on her lips as she quickly pushed me towards my table and forced me to take a seat, moving in close to me so that Komachi couldn't hear what she was talking about.

"Thanks, Hachiman", she simply said, immediately pulling back as her smile grew wider, turning around to go towards the counter as a hand absent-mindedly held my ear, wondering whether or not what I just felt was due to my hormones overreacting or the actual truth. Still, even as Komachi looked upon me suspiciously, I couldn't help but smile when she said that she was accepting my help, even though I had basically shut her out during the school trip for trying to mess up my friendship with Nakamura.

Sometimes, all that you need to be content is someone appreciating the effort that you give.

* * *

Omake – Candid Farewells

* * *

I was never one to half-ass things. If I wanted to help someone, then I helped them all the way until they say that they were satisfied. It made me sound like a certain marshmallow robot, but at least I could stay sane knowing that they were able to leave with a smile on their faces.

…Though, I never expected Komachi to go through with this so readily. It was actually kind of creepy, to be honest, "Onii-chan, when do you think she's going to come here? We've been waiting for over fifteen minutes now, you know?"

"Patience, my dear imouto", I blandly replied back as I idly checked my phone. If that riajuu didn't come here after all of the time that me and Komachi burned just to do this, then I would be killer her when I came back to Chiba, no questions asked. Wasting my time was enough to guarantee a lifetime of pain, but wasting Komachi's? She's got better things to do, damn it! It's not like she specifically asked for me to accompany her here, but she could be doing something better than waste her time just waiting around in a train station! I mean, she could be studying, for goodness's sake!

…Oh no. I have become a nerd. Someone help me get over this condition, please, "Ah, there she is!"

I looked over towards the direction where Komachi pointed at, and using my skill of [Finding People in a Crowd], I was able to see a mess of brown hair wading through the afternoon crowd as I couldn't help but idly tap my feet against the station floor. Sure, come fifteen minutes late to a meeting that you asked yourself. It's actually a miracle that I still have patience for this.

"S-Sorry!" A voice screamed, stopping right in front of us as she immediately dropped to her knees and started hyperventilating. Hey, it's your last day of your damn school trip. Don't tell me you're to spend the rest of your free time in the ER, "I-I just got these…s-souvenirs for you guys!"

"You know I technically live here, right?" I fired back without thinking as I found my sides elbowed by a particularly feisty sibling that was two years younger than me. It might've not hurt without the protector on, but it still smarts, you know? It doesn't even hurt, though.

"Thank you very much, Yui-san!" Komachi said while gladly receiving the supposed 'souvenirs' that the riajuu had gotten for us as she quickly glanced towards me and gave me a glower, "…Say your thanks too, you ungrateful jerk."

Since when did my little sister start insulting me as if I was a horrible person? "Why do I feel like everyone's being on my case lately…"

I sighed, taking the bundle of souvenirs that the riajuu held in her hands as I thinly smiled at her, "…Thanks. So, how have you been doing after the incident at the shrine? Found yourself alone and isolated, or you got yourself some new friends?"

"…Well, how do I say this?" The riajuu said as she scratched her cheeks while glancing away from me, "I got left out, but…Well, I guess I found a group wherein I could fit right in."

"So you finally found a couple of weirdoes, huh? I'm actually impressed", I said with a smirk, ignoring the blows that the riajuu sent towards my chest, "I don't know whether or not I should be impressed by your social skills, or be appalled by the fact that you only got a new group just to recoup your losses."

"I'm not like you, you idiot!" The riajuu screamed, her punch connecting with my chest as I yelped due to the amount of force within it, "It's not like I could just survive being alone, you know!?"

"And that makes you and I different, since I can live without the binding bonds of fraternity", I said, a smug smirk once again on my face as my body began to grow sore due to the amount of hits it already received as I stopped the riajuu from getting a hit in by placing a hand on her forehead and pushing her back, "Well, aren't you supposed to say something back?"

The riajuu blinked, with realization forming on her face as she smiled, "…Thanks for the help, Hikigaya-san."

"You're welcome, Yuigahama-san", I said with the same smile on my face as the riajuu – no, Yuigahama – motioned me to come closer, her words filtering in through my ear as her voice came in through a whisper.

"Hikigaya-san, you're going to come back to Chiba after this school year, right?" She asked as I couldn't help but glance towards Komachi. Most likely, my little sister had gotten Yuigahama's number, which would make perfect sense considering her personality, but talk about topics that doesn't include me, damn it! This is a breach of privacy! I could sue you for all I care and still win, you know!?

"Yeah. Why?" I asked, more out of confusion as to why she asked me that question in the first place as she pulled me closer, my voice yelping at the sudden loss of balance as Yuigahama's words were filled with gratitude…and something else.

"Because I'll be waiting for you."

My body was pushed back into Komachi's charms, waving at us once with a wide grin on her face before she quickly turned around and ran. Well, 'fled' was a more apt description, but my mind was still reeling at the shock of what her words meant.

I wasn't an idiot – not one bit. And I also wasn't the kind of person who half-ass things and gives up halfway through. Therefore, as I eyed Yuigahama's figure in the crowd, I could only sigh and hope to the stars that she was as dumb as she looked.

Because there was no way in hell that I'd like to meet her in high school, especially after this.

* * *

Omake – First Year

* * *

"So for this year, we're going to have a transfer student", the teacher's voice echoed not just within the classroom, but outside it, allowing me to hear his words as I held my breath and hoped for the best, "Please come in."

My hands stopped right in front of the door's handle, asking myself a question that I had been meaning to ask for the rest of the morning, but ultimately waved it off with an answer of my own and slid the door open to the room.

The short walk to the small stage next to the teacher's podium was short, yet it still felt like an eternity as stares bombarded me from different directions, already judging me based on their preconceptions as I finally stood next to the homeroom teacher, letting out a sigh that I had been building up the back of my mind as my emotions were fully controlled, a blank poker face being plastered on my countenance as I stared out to the crowd of twenty-nine people. Geez, this was just like the same events as last year, only this time, there was no yellow octopus to just barge in and ruin anyone's day. Still, as much as he was an eyesore and a pain to deal with, he was a great teacher; a person that I strived to imitate in the future.

 _Hikigaya-kun, think of this as assassination,_ "My name is Hikigaya Hachiman. Nice to be working with you for the rest of the school year."

My introduction was short and crisp, nodding upon the teacher telling me where my seat was as murmurs began springing up all around me, all about the events that had happened to me over the past year, rebranded as propaganda to keep the public safe from harm by casting our previous teacher as a heartless monster who held us hostages for a year.

 _Hikigaya-kun, think of this as assassination._ My clenched fists were slowly relaxed into open hands as I sat in my seat, immediately fishing my earphones out of my pockets and started playing them as the music of PreCure filled my ears, my eyes lazily watching the faces of my classmates as I could see the emotions etched onto their faces as easily as blinking.

Pity. Apathy. Two emotions that I had grown to hate over the course of the last year in my middle school as me and my classmates once again set out the nigh-impossible task of assassinating a being that moved twenty times the speed of sound. Yet, I could sympathize with them, for they were only told the veneer, the lie – wherein me and my former classmates had experienced the truth with our own senses.

Time passed by in a flash, and before I knew it, it was already lunch break. I took off my earphones and gingerly placed them inside my pocket once more, getting the lunch that I had stowed away underneath my seat as I stood up and walked around the campus for any place where I could be left alone, settling on the stairs facing the bicycle stands as I unboxed my lunch and took my phone out of my pocket, immediately going to a particular chatroom that I had grown to love over the past two years as voices immediately wafted through my earphones.

" _Ah, Hikigaya, your lunch break's at the same time as us?"_

"Yeah, seems like a contrived coincidence, out of all things", I replied back with a smirk as I began digging into my lunch with gusto, aiming to finish it at my usually fast pace in order for me to talk with my former classmates more, "So, anyone else online aside from you, Maehara?"

" _Looks like we're the only ones here, Hikigaya. So, how are the girls at your school? See any enticing ones with a hot body or something?"_

"I have no taste for women", I snarked back in reply as I heard laughter on the other side of the line, "If you want to find out, come here yourself. Maybe you'll get a long-distance relationship or something like that."

A little ritual that Isogai had suggested before we parted ways onto our own respective high school – a single chatroom that made sure that me and my former classmates stayed connected, able to talk to one another without barriers or hidden motives to consider. A member of Kunugigaoka's E-Class would always understand a fellow classmate, and that was how everyone liked it, _"Maybe I should plan a trip to Chiba during summer. You know, hang out with you along the city while trying to pick up girls or something like that…"_

"Knowing you, you'll most likely fail."

" _Hikigaya, I think your blunt statements are exactly the reason why no one wants to interact with you",_ Maehara's voice over the line stopped for a moment before he continued, _"…Hikigaya, you're alone there again, aren't you?"_

Truly, I had taught my classmates all-too well on the subject of reading in between the lines. My [108 Hachiman Skills] has now been transmuted into the [108 E-Class Skills], and thus any attempt to hide any information from my fellow classmates was useless. Thus, I clenched my fists and dumped what I had felt all morning on Maehara, "Yeah, I'm alone once again. The bastards think we're supposed to be pitied, yet the look of apathy in their eyes just simply tells me that they don't care. I'm almost tempted to let a few screws loose and tell them the truth to be honest, but then that would be painting myself as a target. Even I'm not that stupid enough to make a blunder, but I swear I'm transferring back there if a week passes by without nothing. I…I really miss you guys."

My voice cracked as I was met with silence on the other line, knowing that Maehara was keeping silent until I gave him the go ahead, "There, I said it. I'm all alone again, just like before I transferred to Kunugigaoka. I hate it here."

" _Well, not everyone took it well when you said that you were going back to Chiba during the last month. It's not like we can't understand where you're coming from, but it's just that…well, why would you go back to a hellhole when your parents already told you that you can keep on studying here?"_

"I wanted to show them how much I've changed over the course of a year, you know? To rub it in their faces that I'm not the same Hikigaya Hachiman who they bullied without remorse, but someone who can actually fight back and leave them all in the dust for it", I said, my tone already sounding defeated as I released a tired sigh, "…Yet the memories always come back."

"… _I see. Well, everyone's got their own problems, Hikigaya. I'm just here hoping that you'll get through it without any problems."_

"You know, if you show this side of yourself more, you could've been more popular with the girls", I replied as I tried to lighten the mood, causing Maehara to snort at me in the process.

" _And there goes the usual hinedere. Well, unlike you, I have some stuff to do since I'm not exactly a genius like some people here, so see you later. Hope all of us are online later, alright?"_

The chatroom updated, with me now the only member that was currently online as I smirked and placed my phone back into my pocket, aiming to finish the rest of my food until I noticed a girl standing in front of me.

I glanced upward, meeting the girl's hazel gaze as I widened my eyes in recognition, with nostalgia from a year back flooding through my mind as I couldn't help but flash back to that particular conversation a year ago, when she said her farewells.

" _Are you going back to Chiba next year?"_

" _Yeah. Why?"_

" _Because I'll be waiting for you."_

"Took you enough time to know who I was", the girl said with a huff as she smirked and immediately took the seat beside me, "You know, I was wondering whether or not you recognized me from the get-go since I was literally staring at you, but it only took you until now to finally realize who I am. Isn't that a bit too callous for a guy like you?"

"Sorry. I have no excuses", I said while silently chiding myself for not noticing her a while back. Another piece of regret added to the landfill, "…So, what are you doing, hanging out in a lonely spot with a guy like me?"

"I was finding you so that we can talk, idiot!" She screamed at me as anger flashed through her hazel eyes, "But then you _just_ had to lead me on a wild goose chase throughout the entire school! Just how much are you trying to lose me, exactly?"

"Force of habit", I replied with a half-truth as she widened her eyes at me, a forlorn expression crossing her face as she looked down, her hazel hair covering her eyes.

"…Sorry", she eked out, "I was listening on your conversation earlier, and I just can't help but apologize. During that time wherein you helped me out…were you being watched then? With you and your sister?"

I debated whether or not I should let her in on the truth, but once I saw her pained expression…I just wished Karasuma-sensei good luck on covering this up, "You didn't know the truth behind it all, I tell you."

"Then…" She said, a glint of something crossing her eyes as I can't help but be mesmerized by her expression amidst the morning sun, "…Will you tell me?"

I smirked at her, "Maybe after classes, when we're not pressed for time. How about we go to Saize later? You _do_ know that place, right?"

She beamed at me, "Yeah. I'll be waiting for you at the gate. Thanks, Hikigaya-san, for hearing me out here."

"No problem", I said with a smile on my own as I watched her stand up and make her way back towards the classroom, leaving me alone to my thoughts as I couldn't help but realize that I still had one hope left. When I was beginning to regret moving back to Chiba and thinking about seeing my former classmates once again, she came along and rekindled my hopes up. Was she the reason why I wanted to go back? To endure the stares of pity and apathy, to endure hours of boring classes on end…all to fulfill a distant promises from the memory of a year past?

Somehow, even as I stood up and made my way towards the classroom, I can't seem to find an answer.

* * *

 **AN: And thus, Deadeye 18 is finished! Seriously, it was supposed to be released a goddamn month ago but _no,_ I just had to have net and so I can't exactly just post this as soon as I was finished. In any case, reviews are appreciated, I'm pretty sure that the uploads are going to be much, _much_ slower due to me being stuck in a place with absolutely no net for the rest of summer vacation, so yeah. Good luck.**

 **Also, for those who would like to see Hachiman in his high school in this fic, you're in luck! One of the omakes just has it! It's a little bit short, but I'm seriously thinking of making it the extra chapter after I post chapter 20. If you want it, then inform me. Until then, I'm going to be stuck in internet hell for the rest of the vacation.**

 **PS: I never actually thought that I'd miss school just so I mooch off of my friend's wifi and post these things.**


	20. 19 - A Few Steps Ahead

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 19 – A Few Steps Ahead

* * *

Study sessions are an enormous waste of time. Having people who are barely acquainted with each other forced into a situation wherein social contact is tantamount to actual studying is one of the main reasons why I rarely ever go to such sessions, and time spent socializing with others could be better spent in reviewing previous facts and theories, or could be used in order to come up with new strategies to tackle test questions or the assassination itself. These sessions aren't necessarily mandatory, but the fact remains that peer pressure is still a wonderful motivator in today's world of social cliques, thus forcing other people to 'study' in order to make sure that they 'go with the flow'. To be honest, it's sickening to think of people socializing with one another while using the excuse of studying as a medium. If people want to talk with one another, then one should simply say so. There is no need for such a flimsy pretense such as studying in order to socialize with each other. Hm? I'm actually considering the fact that socialization is an important facet in human life? I'm sure it's just your imagination.

In any case, the main reason as to why I was stuck in Kunugigaoka's main library is due to a certain pushy, obstinate, petty friend of mine (i.e. Nakamura) dragging me into this place with a few others in tow. Little did she know that my presence here was enough to disrupt the group dynamic of productive learning, since all I did during my time here was just lounging around with a few light novel volumes in hand, chipping in with my opinion every now and then when the rest of the group was starting to veer off in the wrong direction.

"Well, and that's done!" Sugino declared, slamming his textbook shut before immediately collapsing into a pile of steaming flesh. "Ugh, I can't take much more Math…Can we do Sciences tomorrow?" I raised an eyebrow at the group, watching the rest of them nod their affirmation as I hummed in understanding. It seemed that everyone here – Nakamura included –had pallid expressions on their faces, bringing out the bagginess under their eyes. As for me however, they were covered by my glasses, which meant that the fashion statement was actually proving its own worth here. How quaint.

"There's still two hours left before we need to check out of the library. Might as well use the time for something else, then." Nagisa said, pulling up his phone while I gave him a flat stare. Seriously, the clock is just right above you. How is craning your neck upwards to tell the time less taxing than pulling out your phone from your pocket? Seriously? "In any case, I heard Karasuma-sensei earlier discussing with Bitch-sensei about a new transfer student. Who's interested?"

Now _that_ got my interest. I raised my hand, disabling [Stealth Hikki] in the process as the rest of the group balked at my sudden (lol) appearance. "Is it another one like Ritsu?" I asked, referring to the metallic slab that I had for a seatmate as I felt a shiver crawling up my spine. "Because if it is, then we need to petition to prevent them from transferring in. I don't want to wake up from my naps in order to clean up a floor's worth of BBs again."

"Of course, _that's_ why you're raring up to kick the transfer student before they even came in." Nakamura deadpanned from beside me as I shrugged at her statement. It wasn't as if I find the task of sweeping up BBs particularly frustrating, but there was no reason for her to catch on as to why I was interested in the conversation in the first place. "…Leave it up to you to try and find the most lethargic way to be as lazy as possible."

"Can't blame me for trying." I replied, yawning in my seat as I flipped another page of my light novel, finding a particularly coarse and gaudy illustration that I can't help but slam the novel shut. Why do I even bother reading the series when it just panders to the lowest of the low? I have no idea. I didn't even know the reason as to why I started reading in the first place. Still, it would do badly for my track record if I didn't even finish the whole series, but I have a feeling that I'll lose more than a few brain cells if I continue on reading…Such a conundrum…

"Huh, so this is the type of books that you're into, Hikigaya-san?" Kayano's voice made me snap out of my own reverie, finding the light novel that I held in my hands already snatched away by the green-haired pipsqueak, her eyes busily scanning the pages until she reached the bookmark that I had used barely a minute ago. My eyes widened in surprise and fear, already reaching out towards Kayano in order to snatch my book back, but it was already too late. "O-Oh…So, this is the type of books that you read…"

"Let me see!" Nakamura piped up, snatching the book from Kayano's hand as she opened it from the bookmark itself, her face paling as her blue eyes turned towards me, with blue orbs searching for an answer. I rolled my eyes and sighed, chalking it up to her being _that_ dramatic for such an inane reason. With an obvious grimace on her lips, she handed the light novel back towards me, muttering something about "always being the quiet ones" while making sure to try and break my wrist for some reason.

"Thank you", I replied, shooting Nakamura a quick smile as her face turned into one of disgust, shaking her head back and forth as I placed the book back inside my bag and turned towards Nagisa, who was staring at me with a brittle smile on his face. "So, did you get anything else from Karasuma-sensei aside from the fact that we're getting a transfer student _this_ late into the semester?"

"I do!" A voice piped up from somewhere in my pocket, my eyes blinking once again as I pulled my phone out and opened the screen…only to find out that the computer avatar of my AI seatmate was now plastered on the screen. Her blue eyes were strangely blue for some reason, quite unlike their usual red, and I could sense the same feeling of contentment from her that came from most riajuus.

…Just _how_ can I sense an AI's emotional state!? Is my disdain for riajuus _that_ big that I actually can detect such feelings of happiness and contentment from even machines!? "Ah, sorry for intruding, Hikigaya-san. I'm using you're phone as a test case for the moment so there might be bugs in the system, but rest assured that there would be no trace of me left over after I am done telling you this message!" How did the kuudere suddenly turn into such a riajuu over the course of a few days? I mean sure, I mostly slept during classes and woken up during the times that I had to clean the room with the rest of my classmates after a particularly grueling shoot-out session, but I didn't really miss anything important, right? Right? Ugh, damn it Hikigaya-san, you're letting your concentration slip. First of all _Nakamura_ gets the drop on _you,_ out of all people, then you let your own book be taken away from _your hands,_ out of all places, and finally the AI hacks your phone without you even noticing! Thank you, common sense-san, but do you realize that I've been telling myself that a while ago? If I didn't tell you this over and over again Hikigaya-san, then I'd be out of a job.

"In any case…" Ritsu said, her avatar clearing her throat (how does it even work, anyway?) as she materialized a pair of reading glasses and began to read from a piece of paper. "…I intercepted a classified package coming from the Ministry of Defense earlier this afternoon, and with it came the details of the new transfer student. His name is Horibe Itona, fourteen years old. It is unknown as to how he usually does assassinations since the documents have not explicitly stated a preference for a certain method, but there is a tendency for him to visit one of the government's black-ops research sites every month."

My eyes narrowed, the gears in my mind whirring in the face of the new information that I have received as I furrowed my brows in thought. An unknown assassin transferring in by tomorrow at the earliest, with unknown abilities. Somehow, I couldn't help but shiver at the thought of someone completely unknown trying to pass themselves off as a normal human being. What were their motives? Their thought processes? Can they be empathized with? Ritsu was an anomaly, seeing that she is more logic and circuitry rather than empathic human emotion (not that it didn't freak me out when I sensed the riajuu vibe coming from her), but about this new student…Something feels off about him.

"Ah, I also pre-ordered the next volume of the novel series that you liked to read, Hikigaya-san!" My eyes bugged out, widening at the AI who was giving me a thousand-watt smile (heh, get it?), finding that Nakamura and Kayano were staring at me like they had just foreseen the entrance of an eldritch god.

…Just because they've seen the illustrations doesn't mean that they could judge the whole story, damn it.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

"So, substituting x here in this equation would make the function easier to factor." I explained, encircling part of my solution with a pencil as I glanced towards Nakamura, seeing her blue eyes locked onto the part that I had encircled. I sighed, twirling the pencil between my fingers as I placed it on my side of the table, letting her stew over my notes as I hummed and set about preparing an evening meal for the two of us. Spicy curry, or sweet curry? There is no other choice. Or so I'd like to say, but as of the moment what we currently need is something that would let our brains shape up into high gear. Midterms are coming in just a few weeks after all, and so the slow build-up of late-night studying would surely take its toll sooner or later.

Which is why I didn't understand the frown that formed on Nakamura's face when I set down a can of MAXX Coffee in front of her. "Hachiman", she said, her voice mired with disappointment as she leaned back into her seat and stared at me with a blank look on her face. "While I do appreciate the consideration that you put into a late-night snack, I'm still too young to contemplate getting diabetes."

"You're pretty ungrateful when you need be, you know?" I replied with a barely-hidden snarl, watching the thin smirk form on Nakamura's face as she stuck her tongue out at me and grabbed the can, downing its contents in one gulp as she let out a satisfied sigh of relief. My eyes narrowed into thin slits as the smirk on her face grew even wider, opening my own can of MAXX Coffee in order to try and drown out my misgivings about the vixen that I had for a friend. The cold rush of sugar immediately hit the sweet spot, and I couldn't resist giving out a sigh of relief as I slumped onto the table, the tension leaving my body as I allowed the sugar within my system to flow freely.

"I do my best to live up to your expectations."

"Then be more like me." I shot back, smiling as I watched her victorious smirk turn into a frown as I basked in the momentary, petty glory that winning an argument would make me. Dopamine coursed through my veins, making me hum in pleasure before my head bucked to the side, courtesy of a paper fan smacking against my temple. "…Alright, now that's just petty of you."

"As you can see, my supposed teacher is ditching his duties whilst basking in a victory that is ultimately meaningless." Nakamura snarked back with a deadpan expression on her face, pointing the tip of her pencil back towards her Math workbook. "Now, get back to work, _Hikigaya-sensei_. I still have a lot more to learn from you, you know?"

I sighed, scratching the back of my head as I tried to organize my thoughts, which was mostly a futile endeavor seeing as that the gears in my mind were already whirling at its maximum capacity. My mind was completely focused on what I had heard from Ritsu earlier, the one about the incoming transfer student, and I couldn't help but clench my teeth at the thought of the possibility that the said transfer student might use us in order to get to Korosensei. "Hachiman, snap out of it."

"Sorry." I immediately replied, snapping my thoughts shut as I tried to focus on Nakamura's piercing blue eyes. "It's just…" My lips pursed, glancing towards my phone on the table as I narrowed my eyes at it ever-so slightly, a part of my mind trying to will the sentient mini-AI to life. "I was just thinking about what Ritsu had said earlier at the library. There's something worrying about an unknown that just transfers in under top-secret orders."

Nakamura furrowed her eyebrows at me, turning towards my phone as well. "You were never this worried when Ritsu transferred in, though I guess it could be chalked up to the fact that she was just a hunk of metal when we first met her." She grimaced, and I blinked at her for a few seconds while wondering why she had even done so in the first place. Was it something I missed? I have a feeling that I had missed something important. "Ugh, now I feel bad for calling her that now. Ritsu, are you there?"

In an instant the lock screen on my phone changed to become a figure of Ritsu's avatar, the same purple-haired girl that was always on the mainframe's LCD whenever classes start. My brow twitched, and I couldn't help but rub my temples together as I released an exasperated sigh. "Ritsu…I thought that you were going to delete yourself on my phone when you were done telling me that message earlier."

"Um…" The AI said, scratching her cheek as I forced myself to steel my features. I was oh-so-tempted to just start praising the greatness of 2D to the vast, ignorant masses of the modern world, but I had learned from Takebayashi that expressing such opinions out loud was obviously out of the norm. I appreciate your sacrifice. May you be remembered as the sacrificial idiot that restrained the other suicidal idiots from acting out loud due to their preferences in moe. Like Okajima. Or Okajima. One could even say that Okajima– alright, maybe it's just Okajima, but I have no intention on being converted to the dark side. But the temptation is there nonetheless, and so I have learned to temper my reactions like a fine blade. Not as fine as the replica sword that I had from the school trip, but fine nonetheless. "…I figured that my interference in your everyday activities would greatly increase your efficiency during the early mornings!"

Of course. Curse you Asimov for making these vague and undefined rulings about what robotics should be. "Right…" I said, ignoring the migraine steadily building up on the back of my mind as I focused on my phone, which now showed Ritsu with a neutral yet eager smile on her face. Ugh, seriously – why are the riajuu vibes so strong with this one? "…Anyways, can you teach Nakamura tips on how to factor polynomials?"

"Gladly!"

"Why are you offloading your work on her?"

"Thanks, Ritsu." I said with a grateful smile on my face as the screen of my phone suddenly filled up with random bits of machine code, returning back into Ritsu's avatar a few seconds later as she was now dressed in a snazzy business suit and sporting glasses, a stick, and a clipboard. Looks like she really was absorbed into whatever persona she was currently portraying right now. Plus, the instant outfit change would most definitely a boon if I had it. Damn it– "Ow! Nakamura, what the hell!?"

"Listen Ritsu, whatever Hachiman says to you, always take it with caution, since you never know whether or not he's just pushing his own workload unto you." Nakamura said, putting the paper fan away once again as I shook my head to rid myself of the pain. The AI seemed intent to listen to her words, her outfit changing once more to her default attire of the Kunugigaoka uniform as she began to take notes on a steno. Seriously? "Take what just happened earlier as an example. It might be disguised as asking a favor from a friend, but the truth is that given his lazy personality, Hachiman saw an opportunity to slack off from teaching me when it was his responsibility to do so in the first place."

"It's not even my responsibility to teach you. You just barged in my place while I was enjoying a peaceful night and demanded me to teach you about Math." I whined as I got up from my seat and went towards the refrigerator, taking out a few more cans of MAXX Coffee for myself before settling myself back into my own seat. Nakamura raised an eyebrow at me, the silent question already asked, and I simply shook my head at her morosely. "What? You want another one; you go to the fridge yourself. I'm not sharing."

"Tch, you're a selfish bastard, you know that?" Nakamura said in an annoyed tone as I simply scoffed at her, hiding a smile behind the rim of one of the cans as I opened it up and began to take huge gulps of the brown nectar. Seriously, if coffee like this was widespread, then it would totally break the economy. Not that I'm complaining, since I'm getting discounts on my purchases of MAXX Coffee due to my (over) reliance on it. It's a win-win deal for both the convenience store and me; I get more coffee, they get more money. Isn't it wonderful that cooperation can result to mutual benefit?

"So", I turned towards Ritsu when I saw Nakamura get up from her seat to get some more coffee. My coffee. Damn it, you should've went out and get your own stock by yourself, you damnable vixen! Wait, what was I talking about? Right, Ritsu and how she managed to hack into my phone. "How did you exactly hack into my phone?"

"Hikigaya-san…Do you not want Ritsu to be of service to you?" The AI asked me with teary eyes, and I couldn't help but twitch an eyebrow at the phrasing. Seriously, context please. Takebayashi would kill me if he ever finds out about this – hell, if he even _heard_ of this – and so I must refuse absolutely. Though, I already knew it was hopeless. Trying to teach an AI common sense is like trying to teach an adult with the mental age of a child. The knowledge is there, but the wisdom to use it is…lacking. Damn my own bleeding heart. Seriously. No, wait – should I just blame Nakamura for changing me for the better? Ugh, this is so confusing.

"No, it's fine." I said, giving a smile (or at least, a smile by my standards) towards Ritsu, who seemed to visibly brighten at my response. Seriously, moe. Why is a dastardly term allowed to exist in this world? They have already spread throughout the masses already, transforming them into the irreversible mindset of an otaku! "If anyone's hacking my phone, then I'd have you to keep them out."

"Damn it, Hachiman." Nakamura said, knocking me on the back of my head as I yelped in pain and glared at her. "Here I thought you were suave enough to even sweep Ritsu off her feet, but you just _had_ to screw it up at the finish line, don't you? If you keep up with this sooner or later, then you won't have any girls pining after you by the end of the year. Then you'll have nothing but me to keep you warm, and I'll be there to comfort you as you cry your heart out for not being able to receive any Valentine chocolates…"

As Nakamura rambled on about my various flaws, I found myself shaking my head and sighing at the chaotic mess that was my life. Still, I couldn't help but smile through it all. This was much better than just locking myself in a room and moping about everything.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

The next day started off with a heavy rain. That should've clued me in on the order of events that would happen next, but I was still too optimistic to start the day off without even ringing off a single alarm. Of course, that optimism was subsequently stabbed, murdered, and left in an alleyway for dead as I found that the trail up to the campus was drenched in ankle-deep mud, and I haven't had the foresight to buy some outdoor boots for myself until then. Mud clung onto the ends of my pants like suicide bombers onto buildings, and my good mood was even shot down after being murdered when each step I took splashed some mud onto the higher parts of my pants. It didn't fare on well from there, since I sat in my seat wearing my gym uniform whilst I tried to keep my best from getting wet. The reason? A bastard who knocks down a wall in order to get inside the room.

Horibe Itona, also known as the guy who was now ranked number two on my personal shit list, was a white-haired, amber-eyed boy the same age as me who had no qualms in leaving someone (me) to freeze to death while cold drafts got into the campus by means of broken wall. His eyes were empty, yet I could tell that they harbored an intense desire to be…something. I've noticed his types before – the ones that had something to prove, which meant that he automatically ranked lower down my threat list. His handler, Shiro on the other hand…

…I'm getting the feeling that he might be one of those men that prey on young girls and force them into situations that an ordinary person would blanch at. Mostly involving tentacles. _That_ was how repulsive the man's presence was, and the fact that he acted like an old snake didn't make my assessment better. It was enough to make even Korosensei wary of the man's presence – something that I _really_ didn't appreciate at the moment. Plus, once the revelation came that Horibe was actually Korosensei's 'brother', it only rang more alarm bells inside my head.

Without thinking, I activated [Stealth Hikki] and use the rest of my [Hikki] skills in quick succession (I already have thirty or so…far fewer than the 108 that I so desired), I noticed that the new transfer student had some kind of protrusions on his head. Silky, shiny protrusions that didn't look like hair at all…and instead looked more like Korosensei's tentacles. My blood froze at the revelation, my throat drying up in an instant as I immediately reached into my bag for a can of MAXX Coffee, and an air gun. The same one that I used back during the first day of classes, when I had cleanly shot the octopus' arms off. I have a feeling that sentimentality is more effective on this specific endeavor than anything else, if only to send a message.

The moment lunch time came, I didn't bother sticking around in order to let myself be dragged into a conversation with Ritsu and Nakamura – instead, I made my way out of the classroom and situated myself somewhere quiet, the quiet cracks of an air gun being fired ringing through the forest as I focused my attention on imaginary targets. One shot pinged off the branch of a tree, the other shot pinging off a falling leaf as I imagined it to be an incoming tentacle. A bush rustled behind me, and I immediately turned around and pulled the trigger, the BB pellet being deflected by the glint of steel as I immediately took a step back and adjusted my aim, firing once again – the soft thud of plastic on flesh resounding through the rain as I recognized the figure and sighed, lowering my air gun and smirking at the sight of a red welt in the middle of a clean forehead. "Yo, Karasuma-sensei." I said, waving my free hand at black-suited man as he heaved an exasperated sigh, a hand going up to his forehead as his beady eyes looked straight into mine. How the hell does he have the same eyes as me and pull it off while I'm stuck with this bonnet and glasses? I call inequality here! I demand equality for all dead-fish-eyed people in Japan, and vote me for president! I swear I won't embezzle funds (heh), slowly manipulate the entire cabinet to my will (lol), and turn Japan into a 'utopia' from which other countries could learn from (heh)!

"What are you doing here, Hikigaya?" Karasuma-sensei asked me, looking no worse for wear under the rain. At least I had the excuse of having a raincoat with me, but he didn't even _have_ an umbrella! Is he… _dodging_ the rain? Nah, there's probably some sort of explanation – like he's coated in some sort of water-repellant or something. I refuse to believe that the only bastion of sanity here is actually some kind of insane government agent (well, the last part's moot since he's working with a tentacle monster, but still). Plus, one half of the comedy would be gone. I can't let that happen.

"Training", I replied, shrugging at the same time that his gaze narrowed at me. I glanced back towards the classroom, seeing Korosensei facing off against Horibe in a ring full of the E Class's desk and chairs with Shiro standing in the doorway, looking composed and acting like such a thing was normal. A snarl escaped my lips as I heaved the gun up to my shoulder once again, the stock pressing against my chest as the sights lined up with the sheathed tentacles on top of Horibe's head. Calculations ran through my mind as the rain served as white noise, allowing me to focus on acquiring my target as my lips started going through the motions, the tone as emotionless as Ritsu's when she first appeared in our classroom. Distance was about fifty meters, with the bullet speed more or less about a third of the speed of sound. Flight speed would take a third of a second, yet it was still too slow for a being to move at Mach 20 speed. Review weaknesses – speed drastically decreases when caught off-guard, and especially vulnerable to specially-coated bullets and knives. Compensate for lighter load by aiming higher upwards, steady breathing and slow heartbeat. Index finger twitches, barely a single tug away from pulling the trigger, before a hand covers the end of the barrel and forces my concentration to snap.

I blink, my ashen gaze moving towards Karasuma-sensei who shakes my head in disapproval. My lips purse in return, already knowing what needs to be done, and my foot quickly lashes out in a kick, the surprise etched across Karasuma-sensei's face as he lost his balance and fell. In an instant, I was back in my familiar stance once again, the parameters already ingrained into muscle memory, and I pulled the trigger without hesitation.

The pink BB pellet flew through the air, shooting through the open window as it collided with the base of one of Horibe's tentacles, slicing it off with unerring accuracy as the silver tentacle that flew towards Korosensei suddenly went limp, with forward momentum and gravity acting on it almost immediately as it skidded to a wet thud on the other side of the room, trailing a silvery liquid behind its wake. The octopus seemed shocked as to the events that happened in the past second, not noticing the way that Shiro had already moved in with a rubber knife in tow. I raised my air gun once again, aiming to take a shot at the palm of Shiro's hand, but a sudden force knocked me sideways and into the muddy ground, the impact doing nothing more than snap me out of my trance rather than cause any pain whatsoever.

"Hikigaya!" I blink, glancing behind me as I saw the visage of Karasuma-sensei morphed into a calm glare. The one that adults did towards children when they had finally crossed the line. I blinked once again, my surprised expression quickly fading back into practiced neutrality as I clenched my fists together. I knew I couldn't move from this position. Karasuma-sensei's knee was on the small of my back, with my air gun being kicked out of reach and one of my arms currently pinned over the same spot. A move that guaranteed dislocation of the joint if I ever tried to unpin myself. A move that made me useless, and made me feel like one. I took in a short yet deep breath, steeling my gaze as my dead-fish eyes connected with Karasuma-sensei, who seemed to have finally reached an answer in an internal debate.

"You're coming with me for detention, and you're going to apologize for what you did."

I snarled. The first part, I'd gladly do without much coercing, but the latter? It would be a cold day in hell before I would apologize to the two of them.

* * *

Omake – Sleeping

* * *

There was a reason as to why I don't take too much coffee over the course of a few days. Hachiman is the reason why. I mean, look at him, all passed out while he's snoring in la-la land, all the while leaving me with nothing but my stuff and a really, _really_ hard set of questions. Not that he ever takes a look at it. I have a feeling that he could just solve it without even breaking a sweat, which is why it pisses me off.

And so since I can't just smack him at the back of his head without permission, I did the next best thing. "Ritsu, you still there?"

"Hm? Did you call me, Nakamura-san?" The AI replied, and I can't help but squeal at her innate cuteness. Did the guys that built her were secretly otaku? I have no idea whatsoever. Maybe I'll ask Korosensei sometime in the future, and he might probably have a few ideas for Ritsu's 'upgrade' as well…

"Tell me when Hachiman is about to wake up, alright?" I asked, the work already being forgotten as I rummaged through my bag in order to find some lipstick and a basic make-up kit. The grin on my face grew wider, and I had a feeling that Hachiman's fate had already been sealed–

"Nakamura-san, why are you leering over Hikigaya-san like a poor imitation of a slasher movie villain?" Right! AI! Innocent! How did she even hack into his phone!? How did he even _allow_ Ritsu to hack into his phone!? Had she seen his messages already!? _I_ haven't been able to see his messages without him snarling at me like a lion, but an AI with only two weeks of experience could do so!? This is unfair! I vote for equity!

Oh God…I…shouldn't have taken that can of MAXX Coffee.

"It's just a tiny little prank, you see", I said, trying to laugh it off as the AI looked at me closely, her hum brimming with suspicion. Ugh, damn it, plan B. Explain as to why it's perfectly normal to do this. "…Alright, it's actually a bit of a tradition. You see, whenever someone passes out in front of someone else without asking for their permission first, the ones who are awake are allowed to write on the unlucky bas– person's face for an hour while they are asleep. It stretches back into the 1950s, I recall."

I was obviously sweating now, since Ritsu's humming was louder as lines of numbers now flowed in from behind her. Right…Who taught the AI on how to use the net? We're all doomed. She's going to be a megalomaniac and start plotting the doom of humanity. "Huh. I didn't know that there was such a tradition like that", Ritsu said after a brief moment, her suspicion immediately turning into a smile that would've sent Takebayashi to Heaven right then and there. Wait a minute; I'm pretty sure my information was bogus! I'm glad that someone took the actual time to create a site that specializes in fake news! "Could I do anything to help you, Nakamura-san?"

"Well, I could certainly use your help, but your main body isn't here so we'll just have to make do with just myself." I said, the sympathetic smile on my face slowly turning into a scheming grin as I flashed my tools once again and stood over Hachiman. Hehe, now time for payback…!

"Nakamura-san, your lipstick mark was two millimeters off."

My eye twitched. Wow, was this what Hachiman felt like when I was acting obnoxious around him? I think…I think I can sympathize with what he meant. Still, I wasn't _this_ annoying, wasn't I? "Uh…maybe you should put on a thicker foundation on his forehead. There's a bit of wrinkles coming from his brow, so about…one millimeter of covering would do wonders in hiding the creases from his face."

"How do you even know about this?" I asked, trying not to snap at Ritsu. It's alright, she's innocent. She doesn't know that she's not actually helping me by actually offering genuine fashion advice. She doesn't know that I actually want to make Hachiman look like a disfigured creep that had a bad day at a club. Not at all. Obviously not at all. My annoyance is definitely not because of Ritsu.

"Nakamura-san…"

Hachiman, wake up please.

* * *

 **AN: It's been a month. Throw tomatoes at me, curse me by my name, drag me screaming into a forest with nothing but a few batteries and a camcorder…No actually, don't do that last bit, please. It's actually a miracle as to the fact that I haven't passed out after playing Slender: The Arrival.**

 **In any case, I do think that it's time for me to justify myself for all of the back-and-forth 'I'm updating, no I'm cancelling' attitude. It's just that for the past month the number of requirements that I have suddenly skyrocketed, thus leaving me with no free time to continue writing whatsoever. Deadeye must've slipped through my mind…and replaced with a bunch of new fics that just wanted to have a piece of the pie.**

 **Don't worry, though; I've actually gotten myself a writing schedule now (yay!), made up by two of my friends who are concerned (lol) about my lack of updates. Here's a brief rundown of when am I going to write or post one of my fics online. Anyway, go knock yourselves out:**

 **Monday – [currently empty; might as well go and suggest a few weeks that you think I'll enjoy writing]**

 **Tuesday – [original works]**

 **Wednesday – Deadeye**

 **Thursday – [original works]**

 **Friday – Deadeye**

 **Saturday and Sunday – Rest day**

 **For my original works, it's a compendium of short stories centered around two people. Expect a lot of fluff, and you'll probably find it in Fictionpress under slice of life/romance. Still keeping the same pen name, though, so that might help in finding me faster under there. Hope it gets the same enthusiasm as Deadeye, at the very least.**

 **In any case, I hope you guys stay safe and keep on reading my works. Thank you for the support – and** _ **please,**_ **I need more reviews. See you again next time!**


	21. 20 - The Unfairness of Punishment

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 20 – The Unfairness of Punishment

* * *

Out of all punishments that the opportunistic system of school life would impose upon deviants, I could not understand as to why detention is seen as a horror to be looked upon in fear rather than absolute joy. I mean, who punishes students who don't want to go to classes by holding them up and refusing them to go to classes? For the life of me, I could never understand. It was like the school system is made out of idiots themselves that don't even know what the students think. Oh right, because it actually _is_ an idiotic system made by bald men in suits that didn't even bother to gather the opinion of the lowly grunts – aka the students.

So why. Why does _my_ detention consist of being run through a hellish gauntlet without pause?

"There's the duck!"

"Get him!"

I ducked just as a few more paintballs splatted against a rock behind me, my feet immediately kicking off to the side as I took shelter behind a tree. That's it. I swear to whatever gods may exist out there that I would only shoot Karasuma-sensei in the forehead just to spite him. Who cares if he's actually going for my throat and I could get off him by kicking him in his family jewels? No, I'll instead take out my air gun, and shoot him square in the forehead, broken bones and bruised body be damned. It's what he deserves for putting me in this goddamned situation. "Kimura here! We just lost the duck! Check the river if he's trying to swim with the fishes!"

On the bright side, Komachi isn't here, so the difficulty of this game just went down to 'utterly impossible' to 'taking a candy from a baby'. Of course I wouldn't go to the river. It's literally a no-man's land with flat banks on either side, and hiding in the water is tantamount to suicide since I'm not an _actual_ duck, nor am I a fish. It was hard at first, seeing that everyone noticed me due to the unnatural white blur that kept on moving throughout the tree line, but it became easier after the first five minutes when I had finally gotten to hiding spot number seventy-two and doused myself in mud. It had rained just the day before, after all, and the canopy would most certainly be enough to slow down the rate of evaporation.

Thus, this led to the current situation, with my clothes and the skin beneath them being caked in mud and plant material, avoiding a group of fourteen – turning fifteen – year-olds with the ability to hit a stationary target within fifteen meters. Just what had my life come to? Right, an octopus barged in during the first day of classes, and told all of us to kill him. I'm pretty sure that any sense of normality disappeared after that.

Now where was I? Right. Being shot at by hunter wannabes. "Found him!"

I winced, the reaction on my face being simultaneous with my legs jumping off into a different direction before a large pink splat covered the tree trunk. My roll only took a short distance before I sprung up and began dashing once again, my mind now working in overdrive as I used all of my self-preservation skills in order to make it out alive. I weaved in between the trees, using them as cover from the hail of paintballs that was slowly beginning to dye the forest with their residue. I strained my ears, hearing the rustle of leaves coming through the forest that signified the others converging into my position, and I quickly increased my speed in order to avoid being trapped in an encirclement.

My [Hikki Sense] rang out as I stopped, a rush of wind whizzing past my cheek as I widened my eyes and cursed, my legs kicking off to run away once again. I leapt off from a small incline, landing in the middle of a clearing…with every single tree or plant there colored a vivid pink. I blink, a wry laugh escaping my lips for a few seconds as I finally realized just how much Karasuma-sensei wanted to embarrass me in front of everyone. Corral me into an area wherein I couldn't hide, and surround me with paintball fire from all sides. It wasn't as if I was Korosensei, after all. I couldn't just avoid all the bullets like a madman. It would seem like I had reached the end of my little journey as a duck.

…But not today. If I were to be shot down like a rabid dog, then it would destroy what little pride I had left inside of me (lol). Therefore, I will fight to the bitter end, and be like the rabid dog that Karasuma-sensei thinks I am, and bring down all of the people that would try and put me down. A gear clicked into the back of my mind, and I narrowed my eyes at the pink-dyed forest around me, which had grown unnaturally silent as soon as I stepped into it. I brought my weapons out, the paint-stained knife and the air gun feeling like leaden weights as I gave an exasperated sigh.

I took a deep breath, checking the magazine as I did so. Twelve paint-laden pellets – probably not enough for the whole class, but sizeable enough for me to take out about half if I made sure that each pellet hit someone in a vital area. My knife was sheathed back into its holster behind my hips, my right hand ready to last out at someone foolish enough to even think of engaging me at CQC. I shifted on the balls of my feet, taking care not to put too much pressure on my right foot, and I began to think as the gears clicked into place.

Most likely, this was a group effort. That meant that each individual is a part of a well-oiled

machine attuned to a single purpose, and it meant that it would most certainly do its job unless the conditions of achieving victory suddenly change midway. The whole of E-Class is like that machine, with each individual members acting as gears, and their conditions for achieving victory is subdue me with anything short of serious injuries or killing. They've seen me take down Karasuma-sensei during training when he lets his guard down, and most of them would already be forming suspicions about my accuracy with a gun during that whole fiasco with Horibe. It would mean that they would most certainly not try and take me on directly, unless they were actual idiots or were trying to distract me – the former was _not_ an appropriate adjective to describe the rest of my classmates, and the latter was most likely going to be useless given by how easily I took them down in PE. This meant that they would most likely try and pick me off from afar, but I'd like to think that they know that I would be able to avoid my quarry until they were too late. The fact that I had to be corralled in a corner speaks of their decision, and so being the logical pricks that they were (still, I couldn't find it within myself to _genuinely_ call them pricks), they would most likely try to suppress me in a single area until the sharpshooters could take me out. Hands down that it would be either Hayami or Chiba.

I opened my eyes, my dead fish eyes slowly muting into a color of darkened steel as a splat landed beside my feet. The first strike had already been thrown, and their endgame had begun. The only way to get out of this without having my face besmirched with pink paint? Throw enough spanner in the works and eliminate all the gears that I could find.

My eyes narrowed, my left hand moving automatically to a position that I had triangulated using my strained ears, the faint splatter of paint and a squawk of indignation enough to make me nod at myself and move on. A minor pat on the back for myself, but I knew that this was just going to be the beginning. I guess I should be lucky that Ritsu wasn't here. Who knows what the others might've done with her on the field? "Commence Dead Duck!"

Now that's just rude.

Figures cloaked in pink paint rose up from the depths of the forest floor, aiming their air guns at me as they already began on shooting. Paint splattered across the area that I was in, gathering up around my feet but never hitting me in the first place. I glanced downwards, noticing the paint pooling up around to act as some sort of barrier, and a small quirk to my lips was all I gave before I started my counterattack. My eyes steeled once more as I pulled the trigger, with one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten of my classmates falling from a single pellet to the forehead. The pain stung, but only for a brief moment, and the rate of fire around me had certainly decreased by a lot, with pellets hitting the ground around me twice every second now. I clicked my teeth, holstering my air gun by my side as I unsheathed my rubber knife, its singular edge coated in pink paint. Just like that, the machine had adapted, now moving onto shots that would incapacitate me instead of suppressing, but I now weaved in between the trees, letting myself be coated in the pink paint in the process as to blend in with the surroundings. With each tree that I weaved around, my outline became less noticeable to the ones who were shooting at me as I took in the pink paint to blend around. Less than thirty seconds of adapting the tactic however, the pellet splats were now a vivid blue in color, and I can't help but snarl in disgrace as I activated [Stealth Hikki] and laid prone on the grass, watching the blue splats of paint lowly stain the entire forest with its color.

I cursed under my breath, rolling once and shooting back up just as a blue splat landed on the spot where my head was supposed to be just a moment ago. My hand reached out for the knife behind my back as I once again weaved through the trees, grasping the rubber knife by the blade and straining my senses, trying to see whether or not I could use the environment to do the work for me, and I smiled just as my [Hikki Sense] flared up.

My foot caught on a root, and I tripped. The shot that was supposed to aim for my shoulder hit thin air, and by then I had already caught the sight of Hayami looking at me with genuine surprise flashing over her eyes. I smirked, throwing the knife as pain wracked my skull, yet watched with great amusement as the pink paint ran down from her forehead, the rubber knife already by her feet. With heaving breaths, I took stock of myself, trying to calm down my heartbeat as I placed a hand on the back of my head and rose up, shaking my head to clear it of the numbing pain at the back of my skull. I turned back, seeing the last two figures from the group point their air guns at me, and I couldn't help but smile wryly at them as I took my gun out of its holster and held it up for them to see.

Takebayashi shrieked as a trail of pink ran down his forehead, while Maehara immediately pulled the trigger of his air gun. I was already crouched by then however, and so the shot veered off widely, allowing me to pull a second rubber knife from the inside of my right shoe and throw it at him in the same way that I had thrown a knife at Hayami. The pain was enough for him to loosen his grip on the gun, and I quickly tripped him with a sweep to his feet, the gun being yanked out of his grasp as I aimed it at the oncoming individuals and fired. Short bursts of air were released as blue splatters bloomed from the rest of my classmate's foreheads, and with the last one down for the count I released a sigh and dropped the air gun.

Just as I felt like someone had just thrown a baseball right to my chest.

I looked down, seeing a blue splatter directly over my heart, a wry smirk forming on my face as I shot a bitter glare towards Chiba, who was also coated with blue paint. He gave me a thin smile and waved from a tree branch, making me sigh as I dropped to my knees. My head bucked backwards a second later, glowering at the prominent figure of Karasuma-sensei as blue paint began to fill my vision.

Oh, if only I had another knife stored somewhere around here…

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

The idea of punishment is simply preposterous. The fact that humanity could advance past the Paleolithic Era without killing off the entire species is a testament to the incredible potential of humanity to rise past its selfish desires of greed and gluttony and cooperate with one another, creating a civilized society…based on greed and gluttony. Alright, I know that the entirety of our history is actually hypocritical, so the fact that the idea of punishment exists is also an example of humanity's hypocrisy. After all, there are the lawmakers who demand that punishment be doled out to people that had broken through the confines of the penal code, but demand that the code be changed when the punishment be doled out to those same lawmakers themselves. Simply idiotic. Simply human. This is the main reason why I despise the human race as a whole, even while being a part of one. The fact that I am being a complete hypocrite while doing so only makes me rage even more.

Still, I _can't_ believe that I couldn't see this coming. I had a choice to accept a punishment from Nakamura or try to escape from it by winning a game of Duck Hunt, E-Class versionTM. The fact that I would be getting a punishment from Nakamura was bad enough, and so I immediately agreed to the latter option, which meant that I had a pretty good chance of escaping from my punishment. However, little did I know that the vixen actually had dirt on everyone in the class (no less thanks to the nifty little yellow notepad that I saw hanging around in her schoolbag – probably Korosensei's), and so forced them to do their best to win the game when they could've just gone through the processes normally with the same zeal as before. This meant that during the half-day when the challenge was issued and the game was started, the rest of the E-Class fanned about the forest and took note of every single little hiding spot that I had marked, and used it to steadily force myself into a corner and take me out. I admit, it was a pretty nifty plan, and I would've praised Nakamura for it, the little minx…if not due to the fact that _I_ was the one currently being submitted to the punishment cooked up by her mind. Which obviously, raised alarm bells inside my head.

I expected being forced into a girl's uniform. I expected being pictured while in a mortifying position. I also expected that Karma would be tied into this somehow. I had planned out for every eventuality, and tried to think of ways in order to minimize the amount of exposure that my so-called 'punishment' would do in regards to my image. Most of all, I had prepared countermeasures when such plans come to fruition, just in case that Nakamura had more dirty secrets in everyone's sleeves.

However, I had not expected – for all of my intellect (lol) – that Nakamura would simultaneously enact _all_ of her plans in one single moment. "Hachi-san, please introduce yourself to the class."

Karasuma-sensei, I can see you trying to hide that smile on your face. I swear, I'd sock you right now if it wasn't for the fact that I was wearing a skirt that barely covered my legs, so my boxers would be exposed to anyone unfortunate enough to see them. However, it would also constitute as flashing somebody, and then I would be charged with sexual harassment for doing such a thing, even though the reasons for me flashing somebody was completely justified. See how society works against me. I swear, one day, that I'll lead the Hikki RevolutionTM and make all of you bow down to my feet. This I pledge, as the first-born to the Hikigaya bloodline, named after the God of War that had struck down foes that were many times stronger than he. I will destroy this world, and make it anew– What do you mean I'm ripping off an anime?

"You look great, Hachi-san~ Ugh!" Okajima was blown back by the force of the BB pellet that connected with his crotch, sending him flying across the room and slamming into the newly-repaired back of the classroom where Itona had just entered yesterday. The already flimsy woodwork fell away under the force of his weight, and he pierced through the entire wall and rolled across the ground like the pig he was, dragging his face through the mud like what his actions are currently doing to his family's reputation. I'm sorry, Okajima's parents. I'm sure you wanted a daughter.

"Now that the pervert's gone, I guess we could resume class as usual." I said, twirling the air gun that I held in my hand just because I can, before holstering it back into the recesses of my arm. The air had grown silent, stilled by the thick tension that my replica katana couldn't even cut through (granted, it was never supposed to cut _anything,_ but still), and was only broken by the sound of shutters continuously going off all around me. I did my best to ignore them, knowing fully well that I'll crush those cameras under my heel if I have to. I just need to bide my time…No, I'm not an S. "And if any of you were to comment on my appearance today…" I narrowed my eyes as I pushed down the tortoiseshell lenses that had been forced onto me by a certain blonde-haired witch, taking care to look every one of my classmates in the eye. "…I'll kill all of you."

"""Yes, Onee-sama."""

I felt my eyebrow twitch. The thought of shooting the two bastards that were currently acting like professional photographers ran across my mind, and I had to stroke my arm just to calm myself down in order to _not_ draw my air gun and shoot everyone in the room. What part of me can be called an 'Onee-sama'? Just because I look like a hard-ass, doesn't mean I'm _actually_ one…Alright, I _am_ a hard-ass, but that is due to necessity rather than anything else. Associating yourself with a blonde-haired witch was enough to screw your perception of reality, and so you need a trigger to know that you're going off the slippery slope. For some, it might be a spinning top. For me, it was the fact that I was able to fire a comeback that allowed me to realize that I was still in the real world, and not into some guy's psyche.

With a slow, measured gait, I made my way across the aisles and took my seat, trying to hug my schoolbag in order to provide a measure of escape from the harsh and cruel grasp of reality. However, I realized that the DM just railroaded me onto the 'Bad End' route, since Ritsu just swiveled on her spot and booted up. "Wow, Hiki– I mean, Hachi-san! You look absolutely beautiful with that get-up of yours!"

The sound of my head thudding against my desk made me realize that the only way that I could come out of this situation alive was to make sure that I was unconscious for the whole day. Indeed, percussive maintenance was the absolute best in making sure that I have an unlimited set of answers to the questions that I sought. Like the best way to avoid attracting any more attention as of now, or how to murder both Karma and Nakamura when their guards are down, or how to overload the internet with a virus in order to mask the fact that they had most probably spread the pictures around by now. Wait, what if I use Ritsu in order to hack all of their phones and delete all the photos that the two managed to get? It's a perfect plan. Why haven't I thought of this before? Right, because Karasuma-sensei confiscated all of my cans of MAXX Coffee that I brought with me for the day.

…That settles it. Karasuma-sensei is staying in my 'to-kill' list. Hikigaya-san, I know that Karasuma-sensei deserves to be put in that forsaken place, but the fact that you have enough gall to even think of _that_ notebook as a 'to-kill' list tells something about your mental age. Excuse me common sense-san, but you're already too late if you want to change my ways. Actually, you should be happy that it was only the 'to-kill' list that I kept with me up until this day. Unless you want me to dig up that old notebooks about top-secret government projects? No thank you, Hikigaya-san. There's no need to blackmail me when you just know the answer. I'm glad that we can come to an understanding, common sense-san. I'm kind of impressed and disgusted that you get to blackmail your own common sense, Hikigaya-san. What can I say; I live to surpass expectations, common sense-san. Like the fact that you actually look like a genuine girl, Hikigaya-san?

Common sense = 1, Hikigaya = 0. I will get my revenge.

"Hachi-san, wake up. You've already been sleeping for two hours." My thoughts were cut off by a particularly irritating tone blaring right into my ear, making me grumble something as I slowly opened my eyes…and immediately meeting beady ones in protest. I screamed, immediately pushing myself back as another one of my [46 Hachiman Skills] came in handy – [Perception Hikki], which voids the effect of sudden changes in my surroundings. Therefore, I was immediately treated to the sight of an eight-foot tall octopus with yellow skin, a few stray tentacles waving around. I knew what those were immediately. Danger.

My head slammed against the wooden floor, but I tried to force the pain away as I urged my body to flood itself with adrenaline. Using my momentum, I rolled backwards whilst pulling my air gun from its holster, my eyes immediately tracking the octopus-like creature in front of me as I pulled the trigger. A puff of air whizzed through my ears as the octopus-like creature blurred, and I felt a chill grow down my spine as I immediately took a step forward and slashed at my back. I gasped an instant later, my eyes widening as I immediately stopped in my tracks, my entire body tensing up like a coiled spring for a few seconds before I lost all the pent-up energy I had and slumped back into my seat.

"Alright, Hachi-san, now that you're awake, how about you show us how to properly factor a cubic function?" The sing-song voice echoed in my ears once again, the haze of sleep from my mind already being lifted as I stared at the octopus in front of me. Right, Korosensei. Since I was sure that I'd fallen asleep, I'm pretty sure that those two nitwits had already taken all of the pictures that they wanted. Hacking their phones would already be useless now, since I'm pretty sure that they were already widespread on the internet, and…

…Oh no. I _really_ have to kill them now.

I stood up from my seat, a semblance of my former energy returning back towards me as I made my way towards the blackboard, my eyes glancing over the function as the gears turned in my head. After a few seconds, I nodded, my hand blurring as the chalk in my hand was converted into written information for the others to process. The gears clicked into place a second later as I finished my solution with a flourish, and I stepped back, surveying my work with a thin smile on my face and a nod. A single gear continued to whir however, carrying a single question that I immediately filed away for the future.

Just what did Korosensei do to make me freeze in place like that?

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

I ducked, watching with narrowed eyes as Maehara's rubber knife passed ahead of me, an opening revealing itself as I took a step forward and chopped his right side, the sudden influx of pain making him flinch. A swift sweep on his leading foot was enough to unbalance him, and I let gravity do the rest of the work, his body slamming against the ground as I released a deep breath. "As expected of Hachi-san, dispatching Maehara while still looking beautiful~"

Two shots made Okajima howl in pain, his hands grabbing his family jewels as he slumped forward, before being thrown back by a BB pellet colliding with his forehead. He stood up a few seconds later, laughing and muttering to himself, and another pellet took him out of the count. I was tempted to fire all of my rounds at him, but I fashion myself to be a merciful (lol) individual, and so I refrained myself from doing so. "I swear", I said, gritting my teeth in annoyance as I holstered my air gun back, "If he tries to do that to me one more time, I'll take the shovel up in the gardening shed and ram his as– bum with it." I sighed, ridding myself of the thought as I proffered a hand towards Maehara, the orange-haired buffoon taking my hand and allowing himself to be pulled up. "You could've hit me with the hilt of the knife, you know", I remarked with a smirk, watching Maehara's face pale at the fact that he could've struck back, "Yeah. Should've done that before I knocked you over, idiot."

"So close, huh?" Maehara replied, a forlorn look crossing his eyes for an instant before they were replaced with determined orbs. He patted my shoulder as we separated, with me returning back to the other side of the field as I relished the soft feeling of grass against me. I heaved a tired sigh, leaning back with a small smile on my face, only to find that smile vanishing in a puff of smoke as I came face-to-face with a blonde-haired devil.

"How's our resident princess doing?" She cooed, and the twitch in my left eye started acting up once again as I made to grab at her with a hand stretched out like a claw. Nakamura dodged it easily however, and went back a few paces away as she stuck her tongue out at me like some sort of kid. Seriously, I'm going to kill her. I'm already getting that vibe from her that she was planning something behind my back, so I'm getting a bit apprehensive by the fact that she was keeping her distance. It's like she was expecting me to lash out at her or something. I mean, she's most probably right, but it doesn't excuse her behavior at all. "Hachi-san, are you perhaps self-conscious about your legs?"

…Stay calm, me. You can strike her down when she least expects it. "You _do_ know that I'm a guy, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Nakamura as she simply snorted in response, taking a few tentative steps towards me in order to ensure that I wouldn't murder her right where she stood. After a few seconds of observing that I did nothing, she finally gathered up the courage to sit beside me, poking at the black tights that covered my legs. "…And stop that", I remarked, snarling at Nakamura as she chuckled at me and inched away from me. Seriously, is she trying to push my buttons or something?

"You're weird, Hachiman", Nakamura said after a moment of thought, her sapphire eyes meeting with mine, "Here I thought I'd see you freaking out while dressed as a girl, but you're not even batting an eye. Is there something that I should know about? Like a few dusters gathering mites at your home?" The witch grinned, making me roll my eyes at her as I focused my attention back towards the center of the field, wherein Isogai and Chiba were currently duking it out with rubber knives. The latter seemed to be having a hard time, but I can tell that Chiba was slowly goading Isogai into a pothole. Although, he had to be a little faster, since he was already tiring himself out.

"I'm both appalled and amazed that you could even think of a punishment like this, but I won't give you the satisfaction to see me acting up." I replied in a monotone, causing Nakamura to pout childishly at me. Seriously woman, your motives are as clear as day. Sure, this whole get-up is uncomfortable as hell and I want to scratch my scalp due to the damn wig, but do you really think that I'd do it while you're around? You'll just gain more ammunition that I don'tneedto be pointed towards me. "I'd give you full points for effort, though, so at least you get a passing grade."

"A passing grade from you sounds like genuine praise." Nakamura shot back as she snorted, shaking her head while her blue eyes roamed across the field, seeing Chiba being pinned under a panting Isogai. Fujoshis everywhere rejoice, and I can't help but try and bleach my brain for the sudden rush of imagination. Komachi, please kill me. It's a mercy compared to what would happen if I continue on going down this path.

"Hachiman…"

"What?" I asked out of reflex, glancing towards my side as I saw the slightly-narrowed look behind Nakamura's eyes. She hummed to herself, her tone noncommittal and nonchalant, yet I could sense a budding unease in the air around her, and I couldn't help but grow suspicious at it. Sometimes, it was all too easy to predict one of her incoming moods, and I can tell with 105% certainty that she was about to get fussy.

"…What can you tell me about Itona?"

I sighed, slumping forward as I brought out my phone and tossed it towards her. "Ritsu", I said, my lock screen being immediately replaced by the visage of a cheery AI as she greeted me in return, "Can you tell Nakamura what you managed to scrounge on Itona?" Ritsu blinked, before I saw her slightly hesitate, and I closed my eyes and sighed in return. Alright, I guess it's up to me to share the information, then. "In any case…Itona was a product of human experimentation, judging by the way the tentacles were grafted onto his head. Considering that he seemed to consider Korosensei as his older brother…you might get a glimpse of what they did to him." I said, watching the blood pale from Nakamura's face as I nodded somberly in response. It was a chilling thought, having what was equivalent to a human guinea pig teaching us lessons, and I couldn't help but clench my fists at the image that formed inside my head.

"Look", I said, immediately cutting Nakamura off before she could speak. I knew what she was going to say, and I would be an idiot if I just let it happen. "Don't tell anyone what I said. Ritsu could link the files to your phone so you can read it, but do so when you're alone. No one – and I do mean _no one_ – should know about this." Sapphire orbs glared at me like chips of ice, and I grimaced in return. "Right…but it's technically your fault in the first place that you were pushing me to spill the beans. And…" I trailed off, my tongue tying itself into a Gordian knot as I tried to think of what I should say next. "…Well, I'm sure you'd make my punishment worse if I lied to you about this."

A few moments in silence passed by as I indulged myself in watching a few of my other classmates spar. As of the moment, it was Kataoka against Okajima, and it was cathartic to see the perverted idiot running away from what was most certainly the embodiment of the sentiments of the female half of the class. I chuckled, and I winced immediately after as I shot a glare towards the blonde witch beside me, the cheeky grin restored on her face and her blue eyes shimmering with mirth. She was currently shaking her hand however, and I didn't miss the flash of sadness in her eyes, but I ignored it in favor of the current mood. "You're damn right that I'll make your punishment worse. How about you dress as this for the whole day tomorrow?"

I whimpered.

* * *

Omake – Slashing Snares

* * *

In a dark, rarely-used shed, a gaggle of female teenagers were gathered upon dusty mattresses, all under the command of a cloaked figure clad in black. Yet, one could not hide the stray tufts of blond hair that escaped the confines of the figure's cloak, nor the glazed sapphire orbs that seemed to gleam with an unearthly light. "All members of the Shipmaker's Guild please confirm your identities and swear upon the oath."

A hooded figure cloaked in gray raised a hand over her chest, her voice resolute and unyielding. "I, Dragnor of the Black Blades, Third to Hold the Title of the Crimson Prince of Flame, Bearer of the–" "Stop." "–Fine. I, Dragnor, member of the Shipmaker's Guild, solemnly swear on my own pride and honor that I will respect the other initiates' ships, and shall withhold my scathing opinion – if there is – of any other ship that I find distasteful."

Upon swearing the oath, the initiate returned back to her usual pensive stance, just as the domino effect took over and the sound of other cloaked figures echoing the same oath in chorus. A digitized voice joined in as well, a phone glowing brightly amidst the darkness that cloaked the shed, and once the oath had been said, the cloaked figure in black clapped her hands together to signify the start of the meeting. "Thank you for your time, sisters. Today, we discuss a new ship, freshly-off the dockyards. The evidence shall be coming up soon." With a click of the remote in her hands, the projector sprung to life, supersizing a singular image taken of two individuals. The rest of the cloaked figures gasped, holding their breath at the sudden revelation, before fevered pants started echoing across the wooden walls of the shed.

The picture consisted of two androgynous figures, with one figure significantly shorter than the other. The shorter individual had blue hair that was tied up in twintails, with blue eyes shining eagerly with happiness whilst staring at the other figure. The other taller figure simply stared somewhere off the shorter individual's side, yet no one could deny the small smile that was on the figure's face. This figure wore a gray bonnet that framed up the curly brown hair that hugged its cheeks, with the individual's gray eyes framed by tortoiseshell glasses. Both of them looked to be males at first glance, but their gender was immediately thrown out the window the moment one took a closer look at their faces, which no doubt looked like a girl as well.

"Behold, our new ship!" The cloaked figure clad in black cried out, her voice shrill and demanding like a preacher's, causing the rest of the group to repeat her sentence like – no, not 'like', but _are_ cultists. I immediately backed off my spot, trying my best to calm my heart rate as I turned tail and ran back towards the classroom. I need – no, I _must_ inform Nagisa about this, along with Hikigaya as well. Whatever dastardly plan that Hikigaya would make up once he received this information, I would whole-heartedly go with it. What…What those _cultists_ are insinuating was enough to make the bile rise up my throat, but I forced it down as I did my best to carry myself towards the rest of the male population. No one should objectify traps like that–

"!?"

I let out a wordless scream of pain, my vision tipping forwards as I found my legs unwilling to move against my will. A second later, pain flared up all over my body as the ground made an intimate acquaintanceship with me, and I can't help but groan as a shiver crossed my spine. Multiple presences registered themselves behind my back, and I immediately tried to push myself upwards in order to cover the few short meters left before I reach the classroom. From then on, I'd be safe, protected by my fellow men– "Okajima."

My blood paled, with morbid curiosity taking over my body as I craned my head to look behind me, finding Nakamura smiling at me with her blue eyes. Blue eyes that chilled me to the bone, making me unable to move as the rest of her cohorts carried me back to the wooden shed.

I swore I saw a wooden dagger being sheathed somewhere.

* * *

 **AN: Let it be known that I had less than six hours of sleep since the beginning of this week. School is killing me, I tell you – I had to rush a** _ **lot**_ **of requirements since I had almost no internet for the two-week long vacation, which led me to contemplate a** _ **lot**_ **of my story ideas and try to make them in concrete fics…but failed. Miserably.**

 **Also, I am under gunpoint by my beta, who is now currently sleeping. Though, I swear that I can see his finger guns pointed at me right now…*shudder*.**

 **In any case, Deadeye has now reached its 20** **th** **chapter! Since I am an egotistical snake that thrives on follows, favorites, and reviews, I decided to open up a forum based on the fic itself! It currently has three sub-forums – omakes, chapter analysis, and philosophical ding-dong (not really sure if that's the correct word that I'm supposed to say), and so I'm looking forward to reading your posts after a tiring day at school. To stroke my ego, of course. This is purely for my own benefit. If it benefits you as well, then good. Check the link to the forum on my profile. Delete some of the spaces and superfluous words, and join in.**

… **Did I mention that sarcasm is my only way of expressing something humorous? I haven't actually tried writing a humor piece, since my definition of humor equates to 'over-the-top acting and over-exaggerated reactions'. However, I'm slowly shifting my definition of humor to 'everything is serious until the punchline', and one of these examples is the subarashii omake that you have read earlier (I think. Please help me with my self-confirmation that I have actual worth as a human being).**

 **For those of you civilized readers who wanted to see 8man going about his daily life while cross-dressing, don't worry. The second special chapter is next after this, so just hang in there and wait for the wonderful ship of Nagisa x 8man– haha,** _ **no**_ **. I do** _ **not**_ **want my image in my head.**

 **In any case, this is Broken Paladin, signing out. Please leave me with more reviews. My minimum quota for reviews per chapter is ten, and if I don't reach that, I beat myself up for being such a horrible author.**


	22. Chapter 20 point 5 - Kyuuro-sensei

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 20.5 – Kyuuro-sensei

* * *

Witches. Epitomes of sin, mired by magics beyond mortal control. These abominations that were once humans are what we hunt under the cover of night, risking our lives for each and every Witch that we encounter. It is due to this fact that I fight, that I protect the one who had inadvertently placed me upon this endless cycle of hope and despair… "Hachiman."

I perk up, sheathing the gun back into the folds of my coat, craning my neck to look at the person who had wandered into the Witch's Domain, a thin smile forming on my face as their distinctive red hair came into the light. "Karma", I replied, stepping on the deteriorating corpse of the Witch and grinding it under my heel, "Nice of you to stop by here. Checking out the sights in Kunugigaoka?"

"Sure. Whatever knocks your socks off, Dead-eyes", the redhead replied, still leaning upon the wall with a thin smile on his face, yet his pale eyes seemed to watch my every move. A good choice, since normally I wouldn't hesitate on eliminating anyone who would dare steal my kill. Just another one of my warped personality traits, yet it seemed that Karma had remembered it well. "Anyway", he said, pushing himself off the wall while giving me a smile, "How about we grab some ramen before we go back to slaying Witches?"

I replied with a shrug, the Domain around us disappearing in a shattering of glass, reverting our gear back. The ruby around Karma's choker gleamed in the afternoon light, while the amethyst covering of my watch glistened in response. The two of us made our way past the alleyway from where we came, our supernatural disposition allowing us to track the scent of oils distinctive to ramen. It wasn't necessarily a good use of our ability, but it allowed us some interesting boons in exchange of being forced to live in a nightmare. Really– who else would be stupid enough to be sacked into a deal with the devil?

My rhetorical question was answered almost immediately, when both Karma and I saw Kayano turn around the corner with a familiar mop of blue hair. I immediately stopped in my tracks, casting a quick spell that cloaked me from all detection, and began observing the oncoming pair. Nagisa seemed oblivious toward his current company's less-than-normal condition, yet he didn't bat an eye when he began conversing with Karma, who was nonplussed that the blue-haired boy hadn't become nervous with the wicked-looking spear cradled with his arms.

So…it seemed that Nagisa had discovered the existence of magic, but didn't wield its powers. It was a sight for relief, yet it was tempered by…years of experience, telling me that this wasn't over yet. When knowing about the existence of the devil, it meant that he wouldn't stop until his soul was yours. This meant that Nagisa's days were numbered until he finally grows desperate enough to make a wish, and it would necessitate me turning back the clock…again.

I wouldn't let that happen. Not again.

"So", Karma piped up, turning towards my position as I let the cloaking spell dissolve, "That's the one you're currently stalking right now, huh? I guess it's true that you should always watch out for the quiet ones…" I gave him a glare in response to that, causing the redheaded devil to smirk before the two of us began walking once again. He wouldn't understand. No one would. They couldn't understand what I had to go through for Nagisa's sake, for all of the timelines shattered, rewound, and obliterated beyond all recognition…

…Luckily, we came across an old ramen stand, thus nullifying all conversation as the two of us entered through the curtains and the mouth-watering smell of cooked noodles wafted through our noses. After taking our orders, we took our spots on the bar, simply taking in everything about the place before the two of us began talking once again – this time, about inane matters that happened in our everyday lives. Talking about Witch Hunts in public wasn't illegal per se, but it meant that our appetites would be stilled if we strayed upon a sore topic. Karma…wasn't a bad conversationalist. We worked together for a few Witch Hunts after all, but coupled with his bloodthirsty nature and a penchant for needless destruction, it would seem that he would be getting into a lot of trouble with the owner of this territory. Or well, the self-imposed owner of the territory. I could easily take on Kayano with ease, but for someone on Karma's level, without any knowledge on her quirks and abilities…

…He'd get demolished. Period.

"Going to talk about that blue-haired wimp now, Hachiman?" Karma asked, exactly at the time when the old man by the counter had taken our bowls in order to refill them with the deliriously delicious broth. At this point, I wouldn't mind if I became the Kyuubi's holder. I could use that power for saving Nagisa, after all…But it would mean that I would have to deal with all the discrimination that came with the whole package. Nothing that I couldn't deal with, however– Before my world turned to hell; I already grew accustomed to bullying.

"I owed him one before. That's all", I replied, keeping my tone even just in case Karma was trying to prod me on any weaknesses that I might show. Who knows, maybe he _was_ pumping me for information – there was a lot that you can force another magic-user to do when their attachments are on the line, after all. Although, if Karma was trying to find some dirt on me concerning Nagisa in order for him to put his life on the line…

Then I'd kill him. Plain and simple, and it wouldn't even take much effort. Although, it _would_ place some plans of mind through the gutter, since most of them require Karma's assistance (induced or not, I wouldn't care) in order for me to achieve them. Let's see, considering that I saw Kayano and Nagisa walking towards the school premises, it would mean that…I blink, rubbing my temples in order to coax my memory to come back and tell myself that it wasn't just a flicker of paranoia. I do know for a fact that my memory wasn't _that_ muddled however, and so I couldn't keep the blood paling from my face. Karma seemed to catch onto my expression, yet only shot me a barely-curious glance that hid his true interest. Damn it. I'd kill myself if I didn't prevent this event from happening again.

"Here", I said, tossing Karma some bills from within the folds of my jacket, the redhead taking them with surprise – understandable, since it was a stack that consisted of twenty-thousand yen, "Keep the change. I'm going to have to take care of something." I left without waiting for his reply, dashing out of the ramen stall and into the late afternoon, the muscles in my legs burning as I increased the length of my strides. I was going to need more time however, and so I swiftly cut an entrance towards a side alley and quickly shifted, the onyx gem on my left wrist glinting maliciously as the whole world seemed to crawl down towards a halt.

In the stopped world, I kept on running, fueling the stoppage of time with my mana as I bade my legs to carry me towards the school. From within the folds of my jacket, I produced a sleek gun with a single blue line cutting an unbroken line from the grip towards the barrel. My right hand twitched, a grimace forming on my face as the grayscale world shifted back to normal, yet it was with good fortune that I finally made my way towards the school. Sigils formed on places where I would place my feet, boosting my speed and allowing me to stick towards the school walls until the fourth floor, where I quickly hauled myself up an open window and into a hallway where the world shimmered like glass. Without pause, I quickly aimed the gun towards the distortion and fired, the shot ringing throughout the empty hall and shattering the illusion, allowing me to sprint into the Witch's Domain.

There, I saw Kayano dealing with a Witch based on Greed, evidenced by the sweets that littered the entire place. Its familiars quickly shifted their attention towards me when they noticed my intrusion into their master's Domain, yet I simply sprinted past them. There was no time to waste, considering that the event that Nagisa would about to experience was particularly haunting for someone of his disposition. Which meant that no matter how much I wanted that mentally-unstable idiot dead, I needed to do it at a later, more opportune time.

Finally, I stopped at the crossroads, raising my gun to aim at the spot wherein the Witch would appear next. Like clockwork, Kayano had sent the little bastard up in the air, looking all vulnerable and whatnot, yet the slightest twitch was there – the calculating look behind those aquiline eyes that spoke of malicious intelligence. In an instant, it shifted, shedding its once (frankly) adorable sin and revealing its true form – a serpentine monster about fifty meters long, with a mouth made out of jagged, mismatched teeth. It shot forward towards Kayano at a blinding speed, catching the usually taciturn magic-user off-guard and leaving it open for a single, fatal attack.

A blast shook the air, and the Witch was disintegrated by the full power behind the gun. Its grotesque form was bathed in blue light, and unearthly screams that shouldn't belong to any human echoed across its deteriorating Domain – a final last say before its demise. Another shot rang through the air, this time a piercing line that didn't explode the moment it hit an object, and it went through the Witch, creating a large hole through its body before it left the other side. Crimson-colored cotton candy was ripped out of its form before transforming into disgusting caricatures of its victims – all former humans that now served as the familiars in its Domain, before they sizzled and disintegrated into nothingness. The smell stunk however, and I could still smell sizzling flesh from over a hundred meters away from the situation. A small price to pay however – if this trend kept on continuing, Nagisa would eventually be exposed to death. Getting to know the smell of burning flesh might be an unknown blessing if Kayano offed herself sometime in the future.

The Grief Seed remained motionless, spinning through the air before being grabbed by a green tentacle. It was all I needed before I activated my cloaking spell once again, opening an unused space with my magic and chucking the gun through. A second later, the entire Domain rumbled before shattering like glass, leaving Nagisa, Nakamura, and Kayano in the middle of the lone hallway, glancing around with eyes wide-open in shock before I leapt out the window and off towards the rooftops.

If nothing else, I simply bought Nagisa a little bit more time before he is once again exposed to the gut-wrenching feeling of death. Hopefully though, he'd be somewhere else before I put Kayano's Soul Gem in the path of my gun.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

"Hikigaya-san." The name caught me out of my thoughts, forcing my eyes to snap back into reality. Damn it, I shouldn't be doing such a thing this far into the timeline. Anyone could've spotted me in this situation, and would've done the world a favor by putting a bullet in between my eyes. Not that they would have to try very hard, given my state. Damn Witch having the ability to teleport. It would seem that memory was more muddled than I thought, if I could still get blindsided by surprises like this…or it could be that it was a new addition that occurred during this loop.

Damn it. "What?"

"Um…" I inwardly winced. Right – if I were correct, it was the third time that I had actually spoken to Nagisa. The first was when Kayano had caught me sneaking around – a calculated move on my part, I assure you; the second time was when I had to save Nagisa from accidentally stumbling into a Witch's Domain, which was actually a bait for Kayano to have a 'talk' with me. Which ended in a bullet through her left leg. Stuck-up bitch seemed hell-bent on getting into my path every time I try and save Nagisa from a stray Witch. Now…I'm sure that the next time that we meet, it'll be on opposite sides of a battle to the death. "…Kayano-san said that you were a person that could be trusted to answer questions."

I hummed, taking a moment to process the words of my blue-haired friend from another timeline. Just how did that information reach Kayano in the first place? I kept a low profile, always making sure that the concealment spell that I had on myself was only active whenever I was inside a Witch's Domain. That bitch must've ramped up her surveillance on me the moment I stepped into the city again. "Ask away", I simply replied, keeping my tone neutral as I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall of the alleyway, sending a pulse of magic to see if there were any familiars or constructs watching me, whether they be magical or mundane. Once I was sure that there were no such things in a two-kilometer radius around or above me, I nodded my head to make him start talking.

"Kyuuro-sensei–" The devil, I got it, "–Told me that all magic-users succumb to mana wastage and become Witches at the end. Is this…is this true?" I closed my eyes, giving an exasperated sigh as I tried to place the words in a way that would reduce the psychological impact on Nagisa. Although, considering that damnable tentacle monster had already told him about the truth, there wasn't any point in expounding upon proven information. How many timelines did I see a close friend of mine become a Witch?

Too many to count, that was for sure.

"Yes." The word was delivered succinctly, yet I could see its effect on Nagisa from out of the corner of my eye. The blood paled from his face, biting his lip in order to stave his reactions from showing, yet the fact that he had done so was still a reaction in of itself. He had become _too_ involved with the moonlit world, and was now stuck with either going back to the normality that he had been used to, or going forward and becoming a magic-user himself, fully recognizing the risks entailed in doing so. I made that decision on the spot, spurred on by desperation in order to help my old friend at his darkest hour, yet…it wasn't enough. All my efforts were never enough to change anything. Was it a stroke of irony that I ended up with dominion over time, or was it Kyuuro was trying to make me one of the most powerful Witches in existence?

Considering it was _that_ tentacle bastard, I'm pretty sure that it's both.

"W-Why?" Nagisa asked me, and I couldn't help but sigh at that. Indeed, the most wonderful question to ever grace humanity's lips: 'why'. A powerful tool for figuring out the motives of others, along with denoting a sense of guilt for those who couldn't or wouldn't answer the question. It was a sickening tool to be honest, being forced into a situation wherein you have no escape from.

"Do you really think that we willingly asked for this? To willingly risk our lives day in and day out in order to prolong our suffering?" I asked, shooting Nagisa a glare and making him flinch. An instant later, I did the same thing. Damn it, I was supposed to let him see things from my perspective, and not push him away. "It's true that Kyuuro lets us become magic-users out of our own free will, but when our circumstances force us to cloud our rational thinking and make impulsive wishes, is it still the same as having the free will to make your decision?" Nagisa had no immediate answer, which meant that I wasn't getting through his mind. Damn blue-haired idiot and their stubbornness. I swear that it's the only thing that doesn't change in all the loops. "When I was twelve, I watched my parents die in front of me – a casualty of an idiotic turn into an alleyway." God, it sounded like Batman's origin story. Except for having unlimited resources and the all-seeing power of money, all I had was a manipulative octopus creature and magical powers. "Back then, when I saw my parents' blood pool around me, Kyuuro appeared, offering me to become a magic-user after making a wish." A bitter smirk formed on my face, "I was twelve at the time. The shock of your parents dying in front of you would make sure that you'd do anything to get them back." Nagisa gasped, and I nodded. "Back then, I wished that I could've done things differently. And so, Kyuuro did what I wished for – turned back time so I can change things around. All at the cost of selling my soul to the devil." My smile was brittle, "…If I knew what would happen next, it would've been better if I had just let my parents die in peace. Now…they have to live with the risk that their son wouldn't be coming back home every time that he walks out of the door."

"Hikigaya-san–"

"I don't need your sympathy." The fact that I needed to say that spoke leagues about my current mental state. Oh well, at least my Soul Gem had already fixed all of the injuries that I had obtained during the fight with the Witch. I stood up, brushing dirt and dried flecks of blood off my clothing, and smiled at Nagisa. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be somewhere else. No need to wait for me – I'll contact you instead."

And with that, my concealment spell activated, allowing me to escape that alleyway undetected as I saw Nagisa's eyes widen in shock. It was a testament to the utter hell that I've been through that I kept my expression schooled into a neutral line as I made my way towards the train station, where I was going to meet Karma for another day of our patrols.

So of course, Nakamura _just_ had to turn into a Witch in order to wrap up my day. Damn it. Why does my life had to pull a fast one on me now?

Whatever. I'll just deal with it as it comes through.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

The Witch's Domain shattered like glass, leaving me and Karma all haggard as the two of us were spat out onto a nearby alleyway. Just…damn it. Just damn everything. Why did it have to happen _now_ of all times, when Walpurgisnacht was near? It didn't make sense. Nakamura wasn't a pushover that had a tendency to shrink onto herself. Karma and I both knew that she was much stronger than that. So what was the reason as to the sudden change in emotions that she inadvertently transformed into a witch? There were a few answers, and I most certainly didn't like them in one way or another. Karma must've noticed it, since he placed his spear's blade by my throat while I was busy blinking.

"You know something." He stated in a dull monotone, his pale amber eyes glimmering with a frigid exterior. It was admirable, especially since it had managed to contain all of the anger that had been inside. The bangle on his right arm was slowly transforming into an onyx however, and so I had to take action before he did anything that he would regret. "Talk, Hikigaya."\

"Kyuuro", I simply replied, matching his gaze with my own and seeing the gears turn in his mind. A moment later, the spear's blade was wrenched out of my throat and was slammed into the wall, followed by an irate redhead that seemed to focus on damning everything around him. I simply nodded in sympathy, knowing the feeling of being so powerless, where every action could only result towards the success of another's plans…Being nothing more than a pawn in an empty game that had no winners, nor losers. Only dead men. I simply listened, a small smirk on my face as I watched Karma utter every profanity known to man. A punch here, a stab with his spear there, and a kick towards the wall – it would seem that he had found a new sparring partner, if it weren't for the bloodthirsty expression on its face.

[Oho, what do I see here~?]

I froze, as did Karma. The two of us slowly craned our neck to look towards the source of the sound – a creature with yellow skin and writhing tentacles, its gray beady eyes glimmering with an alien emotion that did nothing else but piss us off. What currently stared at us was the devil, its form currently locked in what appeared to be an octopus plushie. In an instant, the wind around me shifted, the creature's head being immediately skewered by Karma's spear, yet the plushie seemed nonplussed, only furthering our simmering rage.

"What are you two doing?" The cold voice came from Kayano, who had just turned around the corner with a frown on her face. Karma snarled at her, pulling out his spear from Kyuuro's body, yet only succeeded in spreading stuffing everywhere across the alleyway. Although, I also couldn't help the snarl that escaped my lips. Where was this _bitch_ when one of her protectorates was suffering a meltdown? Busy pleasuring herself in one of the public restrooms?

"…What I should've done a long time ago", I simply replied, the world around me immediately turning grayscale as I simply withdrew a gun from the folds of my cloak. The Desert Eagle glinted in the stilled world, its sights lined up perfectly with Kayano's throat, and I pulled the trigger once, twice, and thrice, making sure to compensate for the recoil. The first two shots tore out gibs of Kayano's neck, and the third shot managed to shatter the Soul Gem that was hidden on her nape. The world returned back to normal a second later, with me holding a smoking gun and with Kayano's lifeless body slumped forward at the entrance towards the alleyway. I sighed, unloading the rest of my clip towards the octopus plushie underneath us, taking great pleasure in making sure that it was thoroughly mangled beyond all recognition.

"Hikigaya…"

"She got on my nerves." I replied with a serious expression on my face, glancing towards Karma as if daring him to challenge my thoughts. He opened his mouth, found nothing but air, and immediately gained a contemplative look when I aimed the gun towards Kyuuro. "Besides, she would've protected this bastard anyway…And we would have to kill her with more difficulty because of that."

"I…I understand." Karma looked like he wanted to say something else, but quickly sighed as he jammed his spear towards the reforming Kyuuro, who stared at us with the same blank look that he always gave us. A stare that consistently determined whether or not the energy derived from our despair would be worth our wishes, and one that simply saw us as energy sources, and nothing more. In fact, if the Incubators were so inclined to use other species as energy sources, why wouldn't they use their own? Self-entitled pricks liked to play God, so why wouldn't they sued their own species for such a thing? Damn cowards. "I…Hikigaya, I'll help you with the oncoming storm, but after this…? I'm…I'm leaving Kunigigaoka."

My lips pursed as I nodded. It was understandable, given what Karma had been through in this loop. Having to watch your friend die right in front of you and being transformed into a Witch…was enough motivation for anyone to stop fighting. For small victories, at least Karma would help in fighting Walpurgisnacht. Not that I would have a chance of winning that was ratified, though…considering that Nakamura and Kayano were already dead. Damn it.

[I am sorry for the loss.]

"You don't get to talk, asshole." I snarled, watching the octopus plushie pull itself back together, only for me to put a bullet between its eyes just for some catharsis. I didn't feel any better, which made me waste a bullet and my anger only spiked even higher. Was this the guy's plan for this loop? Whittling down my potential allies so that I had no choice but to rewind, start things over, and increase the dormant power that was inside Nagisa? By my information, Kyuuro doesn't know that I can rewind timelines, but by the current events, I was sure that he has some knowledge of it…and was trying to edge me closer to rewinding another loop. I won't let him have the satisfaction of me using it, though.

Just for indulgence, I rammed another bullet into the plushie's eyes. I do think that I won't have enough time to do the same thing when Walpurgisnacht appears and starts killing the entire town. "Let's just go, Karma", I said with a sigh, using my magic in order to desync Kayano's body in this timeline, only leaving the shattered pieces of a Soul Gem in the process. I narrow my eyes at the fragments, finding that more of them had already turned black, and I shot the reformed plushie a suspicious look.

This time, I kept myself calm enough to stop putting another round right in the middle of the plushie's eyes. Although, I could still hear the mocking laughter delivered in my own voice resounding at the back of my head, making me snarl at Kyuuro as I left the alleyway with Karma in tow, his pale eyes keeping themselves stuck to the ground. After all this…at least I had one ally with me in order to do so. At least, I could still alter some plans. Change a few variables, transhing out some old ones…

…Would it kill me to say that reforming a plan from scratch could still be known as 'altering' it?

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

I was tempted to turn back the clock and give it another shot. I really do.

Karma had turned into a Witch at the moment Walpurgisnacht appeared, unable to bear the burden of the truth any longer. I should've known the signs of his Soul Gem blackening. Yet for the past month, all I've done was plan around the whole city, setting up various ordnances that would originally be impossible for me to exploit without some previous arrangement in other timelines. It was another thing that I hadn't accounted for; the fact that one of my closest allies in my travels could possibly turn into a Witch, and I had been slapped across two-and-a-half condominiums for my mistake. I was now bleeding out all over my body, with bones pulverized and internal organs turned into mush…and I still haven't gotten started with plan A.

Damn it. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Wails screamed in my ears – the musings of a tortured soul driven far beyond in despair resounding deep inside my mind as I tried to blot it out…but it was no use. My arms couldn't move, and my eyes were stuck watching the macabre scene in front of me. Walpurgisnacht used its long, spindly arms and grabbed Karma's Witch form with surprising strength…and ripped it apart into two with nothing more than its bare hands.

Part of my Soul Gem blackened, and I couldn't help but agree with my unconscious decision.

Then, the Penultimate Witch grabbed Karma's two halves and opened its maw, stretching so wide that it rent flesh from its throat in order to fit in the size of Karma's Witch form…and promptly swallowed the two halves whole. Power – unadulterated power – shot through the air and left a kilometer-wide dead zone in its wake, with skyscrapers completely vaporized into dust that shifted in the wind, surrounding the newly-reborn Witch as it turned its head towards me.

And in that moment, I felt Death staring at me with its scythe raised, aiming to reap me in half for all of the crimes that I had committed. Synchronization happened before it even began, with the current timeline immediately being ripped apart at the seams as I synced with the newly-formed timeline, forcing me to kneel to the ground just as the condominium behind me was obliterated by rubble. Another synchronization allowed a dome of rock to form over me just as the rubble collapsed on my position, allowing me a few moments to breath before I tried to understand what I had just done.

Synchronization was usually only applied to non-living objects that could still affect the physical world – hence I couldn't just replicate the blasts from my gun and shoot them out towards Walpurgisnacht. It would be an easy and satisfying end to do so, but I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have enough mana in me left in order to do so. Plus…I'm running low on mana now. Less than ten percent on my entire Soul Gem, which would mean that the shift had taken out _thirty percent_ of my reserves.

Damn it. This was going to be _much_ tougher than I had expected. Tougher than the rest of the timelines that I had been through, for sure. After all, I'm facing this damn thing with nothing but myself, and I can't just exactly drag Nagisa into it unless I want the entire world to live just a _little bit longer_. Kyuuro knows that I can rewind back into another timeline, and would most likely know things from the start unless I properly compartmentalize my knowledge to compensate for current events. It's just a stop-gap effort though, and it would work for a few loops before Kyuuro catches on and plays with another one of his games…

…Damn it.

I let out a sigh, rubbing my temple with a free hand as I pulled out a Grief Seed from the folds of my coat and began absorbing its energy. It sickens me, to think that I'd even think of Nakamura's corrupted soul as a resource, but I…have no choice. I don't have enough of my reserves left in order to rewind the timeline back again, and I could only have an upper limit of Grief Seeds before Kayano gets suspicious and wises up to my presence…Damn it. Why does everything have to be so needlessly hard? It's not like my notes get transferred from timeline to timeline…Or maybe they actually do.

What I need to do first is to get out of this situation, however.

I glance towards my Soul Gem, finding out that I was almost back at full reserves with a full eighty-seven percent of my mana restored. I couldn't help but flinch for an instant upon seeing Nakamura's Grief Seed fading into dust, but…I had no choice. A low breath escapes me, and a quick tap against the rubble around me was enough to send it flying, leaving me amidst an open sea of death, chaos, and destruction…and standing on the other side was Walpurgisnacht, whose power had grown even further due to consuming Karma's Witch form.

…There was no way that I can win. But…unless I'm on the verge of defeat, I'll fight.

I'll fight for Nakamura, the anchor that kept Karma from just becoming another random sociopath on the streets; the one that accompanied Nagisa and even gave her life for him in some of the loops that I've experienced.

I'll fight for Kayano, no matter how manipulative she might be. Even if her actions were just to solidify her power base in Kunugigaoka, I couldn't just throw away her efforts in trying to keep Nagisa out of the crapsack world that the rest of us magic-users live in. Even if she had tried to kill me multiple times, it was always for an understandable (if misplaced) reason – she saw me as a threat to Kunugigaoka and all the magic-users living under her protection, and thus saw fit to eliminate me.

I'll fight for Karma, my old friend from timelines past; the only one that I could trust with my knowledge and _not_ immediately balk at the insurmountable odds that would stand in our way. He was a jaded soul that had seen the worst that the world has to offer, and simply wanted to settle down and live a normal life with his family…but couldn't, because of his nature and the fact that every last Domain that he visited might as well be his deathbed. He was smart, witty, and woefully abrasive – always trying to get one-up over me, and offering new strategies and ideas that would make us go one step further towards our goal. Now…he's been turned into a Witch, torn in half, and swallowed by the abomination that I had wanted to stop in the first place.

Finally…I'll fight for Nagisa, who was the only person who saved me from going off the deep end, who had listened to my ravings and was the first who didn't dismiss me, and whose understanding soul allowed me to finally relearn the value of companionship. I could still remember his anguished remarks as he stood on top of a skyscraper, with Walpurgisnacht chortling away while a girder was slammed into his chest…and the image of his smile still haunts me to this day – one that told me to live the rest of my life for myself, even if I wasn't strong enough to do so. He was the main reason why I forced myself to be stuck in this never-ending loop – the moment that he turns into a magic user, he could only die by a girder to the chest…or becoming a Witch that would be responsible for the destruction of the whole world. The loop was a way of taking the third option; if I could simply buy enough time for me to come up with a plan, set things up perfectly without no one else noticing, and pull it off completely…there would be no Walpurgisnacht. Nagisa wouldn't turn into a magic-user. He wouldn't be laying down on a rooftop with a girder on his chest, telling me to keep on living for my own sake. He wouldn't fall into despair, encasing himself in his own fantasy while the rest of the world is killed by his callous actions. No more. Not anymore. If this is the place as to where I die, then it would be for his sake as well – the same way that he told me to live on at the very first timeline.

So for him…and for everyone else…I open my eyes, seeing a veritable army of rubble, and matching it with spectral copies of every weapon that I could search through all of the timelines that I've been through. How old was I? Thirty? Seventy-five? Five hundred and thirty-two? It doesn't matter.

"Synchronization…start."

* * *

 **AN: Boom. Deadeye's second bonus chapter, and now it has been successfully merged with PM3. Great anime. Even if it was just a stereotypical magical girl show, it deserves full marks…Even if Urobutcher was on the production staff.**

 **In any case, once again I am sorry for the late upload. You see, I have been forcing myself to come up with a short story compilation for the past one…two weeks now (school requirements), so it meant that my whole writing schedule was rewritten (heh) and was changed into something that resembled [MAKE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS] for the whole interval. I'm sorry. I really am.**

 **It's just that I'm so shit at time management that I don't even.**

 _ **But,**_ **at least I follow my writing schedule, so I guess I'm going somewhere. Hooray for Broken Paladin, having taken the first step into being a responsible person! Normally, such a thing would warrant a celebration, but I fear of being noticed by the outer gods and being subjected to a fate worse than death for trying to transcend the natural order.**

 **Although, considering that everything I write is technically part of the internet…Damn. Sorry if the world ends soon. It's most probably not my fault. Blame the Mayans or something for not knowing what to do when their calendar ends. Couldn't they just like use a looping structure or something?**

 **Great, now I'm rambling again. Something that I usually do whenever there isn't enough words to fill in the quota that I placed upon myself for an author's note,** _ **so**_ **here I am, just dragging it onwards without care. Although moving on towards some of the more stuff that I just** _ **have**_ **to announce for some guaranteed publicity (*cough*), I'll be writing another RWBY fanfic called 'The Professor', starring an OC. Those of you purists, do** _ **not**_ **read any further than this. On second thought, you might have already started running towards the trash can and retching your dinner right now. In any case, the chapters are going to be updated in an interconnected short-story format, with the rest of you lot guessing as to whether the events happen before, during, or after RWBY canon (although, I still have to watch what happens post-season three). Also, I'm looking a beta for this fic, since they were also already retching on the trash can the moment the words 'RWBY' , 'fanfic', and 'write' came out of my mouth.**

 **In any case, that's all for now. Give Deadeye some more love by pouring in reviews (and the forum needs posts) and by telling your folks to read it, and I am** _ **not**_ **going to abandon this fic anytime soon. The next chapter's going to be a continuation of 8man's punishment, doled out by Korosensei himself (itself?) to make sure that 8man doesn't freak out and shoot someone ever again! Which means…that he's going to do some actual work! By socializing with other people!**

… **I should really stop it with the exclamation marks. Well, until next time, Broken Paladin's out!**


	23. 21 - Background Work

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 21 - Background Work

* * *

Teamwork. If someone asks me about my opinion on such a concept, I would reluctantly agree that it is required…on _some_ circumstances. You see, human beings are selfish on a fundamental level, which allows them to go behind one another's backs for the sake of their goals. It is only when their goals align with others that the concept of so-called 'cooperation' would be born, and with it, teamwork. However, establishing a working relationship with other people isn't as easy as it sounds. Even for a group project consisting of no less than four people, there more subtler interactions in play. One of which is the ever-growing desire to be the leader of the group, with all of the prestige that it accrues. Indeed, one could say that people could learnt to cooperate with one another for a common goal, but the lust for power that comes with the leader of a specific group would cause the entire group dynamic to collapse. This is only one such example of a group interaction, and yet one could see how much insight one could gleam into the human condition.

Obviously, I don't consider being the team leader a glorious job. It was nothing more than a pedestal, which meant that both positive and negative reviews about a group would fall solely upon the team leader. Indeed, once they learn that a leader's job has more to it than just being the one who reaps all the praises, their effectivity drops sharply at the same time as the first negative reviews come to light. Truly, such a number of individuals could not stand the strain of bearing such responsibility, and thus relinquish the role to someone else more capable. It is only then that group is able to focus on accomplishing their objective.

But, as of the moment… "You are kidding me."

"Sorry, Hikigaya-kun, but I'm afraid that you're the only individual that could take up the role of this job." Korosensei replied, his usually annoying lilt curiously missing. His skin was turned blue, which meant that he _was_ genuine with his feelings, and wasn't simply toying with me for what it's worth. However, I won't give him the satisfaction of the win…Even if I do agree that most of the men in this class would immediately jump at such a chance, it doesn't mean that the job would naturally fall to me.

Actually, why didn't he just assign a girl to the task? "Sensei–"

"Hai, thank you very much for volunteering for the position, Hikigaya-kun! Sensei wouldn't forget your sacrifice!" My eye twitched, a finger already on the trigger as I unloaded a hail of BB at Korosensei, but he dodged it all while crying crocodile tears, wiping off the excess mucus with a handkerchief. Speaking of handkerchiefs, he simply caught all of the BB rounds with the damn thing, and promptly deposited them onto my desk when I was finished firing a salvo. Damn Mach 20-travelling manipulative son of a gun…I swear I'll get him back for this.

I felt a weight on my shoulder, and I turned my gaze to see Nakamura giving me a pat on the shoulder with a sympathetic smile. "It's alright, Hachiman", she said, her voice betraying the amusement in her eyes while I glared at her with a blank gaze. "You'll do fine, managing all of us. We're counting on you, Manager."

Please call me something else like 'Commander' or 'Admiral'. Or better yet, just call me by my damn name, damn it! Look, every guy in the class is staring at me with murderous eyes now! Hell, even Okajima is currently making a voodoo doll out of me! Wait, maybe I should steal it from him when PE's about to start. Never know what he might do with such a thing in his possession… "Nagisa, swap with me please."

"Eh? Why?" What do you mean 'why'? My eye once again began twitching, now at a faster pace as I could see the sadistic glint in his eyes. 'Why', he says. He looks like a girl himself even though he's a guy, and he's still asking 'why'. Maybe I should go full-Nakamura on him and force him into a girl's uniform. I wonder how he'll react to that… "Hikigaya-san, you're scaring me here…"

Oh no. You just brought this on yourself. "Nakamura", I asked, making the girl beside me perk up at her name being called, "You'd be more comfortable if a girl's managing the basketball matches, right?" In an instant, Nagisa stood out of his seat and yelled, already having deduced my plan in just a few words. However! By combining the words 'Nagisa' and 'cross-dress' into a single sentence, it becomes prime Nakamura bait! Your days– nay, _minutes_ – are already numbered, Nagisa!

…Though, for some reason she didn't take the bait. Was it because I do it so much that she developed a natural defense against it? But I thought that she was a sucker for Nagisa cross-dressing! "No, I think that we'd be happier if you were the one taking care of us, Hachiman", she said in a straight-laced tone. Actually, I'm kind of surprised that she can say it in a straight-laced tone. I mean, those are prime words for misunderstandings right there. I mean, look at all the girls currently glaring at me. I mean, look at all the words being passed around the classroom. Such wonderful words like 'pervert', 'deviant', and 'scum of the earth' are filtering through my ears, you know?

"And so, the hunter becomes the hunted", Karma piped from somewhere, and I immediately shot him a glare. He simply smiled and gave me a thumbs-up, before turning back towards the blackboard, where my name had already been written by Kataoka. Seriously, that's a pretty damning sight. "Well, good luck with your new job, Manager-san."

My eye twitched even further, and I was almost tempted to cut loose and shoot everybody with BBs. But, I managed to calm myself down through sheer force of will and think through the situation logically. Think of it like a monster of logic would…for some reason, I'm getting chills.

Still…I couldn't help but sigh at the current predicament. It looks like the world is out for me…again.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

"…" I stared at the assembly of middle school girls right outside my doorstep. Let's see, there's one, two, three, four, five, and I am going back to sleep. It's too early to deal with this. Hell, it's even a weekend, and they're cutting down on my precious sleep time. If this was a galge, then they'd already be in the negative Hachiman points. Actually, just what the hell are they doing here? We agreed that the training would start about…Monday. Do I know _anything_ about basketball? No. Why would I even bother learning about it when it couldn't help with my everyday lifestyle? It's actually the main reason why we're supposed to hold a study session on the weekend in order to…

Oh.

"Sorry." Was it weird of me to apologize just after opening the front door? Yes, but I totally deserve it. I also deserved Nakamura slugging me on the cheek for forgetting to set an alarm. Maybe I deserved getting hit in the shin by an irate Kataoka for making them wait outside the train station for a grueling two hours. But when Hayami pulled out her trademark BB gun from her bag and aimed it at my special place, I immediately took it as a sign to hide behind the couch.

"Ah well, change of plans, then." Nakamura said, stretching her arms out as she popped some of her joints, "You have internet here, right?" She asked, sparing a glance towards me as I nodded and drank a MAXX Coffee straight out of the fridge. At last, the world was starting to become clearer and clearer… "Hachiman, get out of that wonderland and talk to us, please. I'm asking you if you have internet here." Ah, so _that_ was what she was asking. "Oh, you have? Then I guess we're doing that study session here, then."

It seemed like an electric bolt had run throughout my apartment, since every girl that Nakamura had brought with her had frozen immediately and glanced towards me with furrowed brows. For some reason, most of them had blushes on their cheeks and oh who am I kidding. Nakamura just dropped off a bomb right in front of the crowd, and now most of them were glancing around my apartment warily. "Don't worry", Nakamura said, waving a hand in the air to dismiss the concerns of the other girls, "Hachiman here is too wimpy to do such a thing in the first place, so you can just lay about wherever you want."

"Oi."

"Honestly, he's so submissive that I worry for him sometimes." She sighed, and if someone told me that I almost crushed the can of MAXX Coffee that I had in my grip, I would immediately tell them that they're lying. "At this point, he's going to turn into a househusband you know? He still can't cook to save his life, though, so I'm currently teaching him every time that Home Economics rolls around." My eye twitched as the rest of the girls widened their eyes and gasped. Seriously, wasn't it enough that she was trying to insult me? There's literally no way for her to dig herself a hole. "His training's going fine, though."

"Oi."

"How bold…" Hayami stated with a blush on her cheeks, but it seemed empty due to the empty way that she had delivered it. It was as if she was expecting such a thing to happen in the first place, but didn't account for how much said thing actually progressed. "Nakamura-san, I didn't know that you were the one that trained him into a formidable candidate for a househusband."

"I checked his career form, you know", she said, leaning further into the couch as she dug her grave deeper, "He literally put in there that he wanted to become a househusband when he grew up."

The rest of the girls stared at me with blank expressions on their faces, and I downed a can of MAXX Coffee before I stared at my audience and raised a brow at them. "First rule of finding jobs: get one that is currently in high demand. It's what Korosensei told me during my consultation with him." A smug smirk formed on my face as I tapped the rim of the can, and realization flashed through the girl's eyes as they nodded towards each other in some form of unspoken agreement.

"Just get over the conversation and start researching", I said, sighing at the various glares that the girls sent towards one another. Kataoka excluded; she was already in the middle of researching with her phone. I do think that she just ignored the insanity going on around her and simply bogged down and began taking notes. How nice. I wish I could be like her.

Actually, no. I could do that just by sitting down and doing my own part of the research.

So, I sat down on the low table in the living room and brought out my own notes that I had made from last night, flipping through them so that I could get a general idea to where I had last left off. Nodding to myself with a soft hum, I unlocked my phone and began browsing through the net in order to find whatever I needed. "That's surprising."

I perk up from my search, finding Kataoka staring at me with a genuinely confused expression on her face. "What?"

"You're actually doing some study work, for once." She replied in a blank tone, with light green eyes staring at me with a half-lidded stare. I _might_ have winced, but if I did, she didn't see any sign of it. "At first I thought you were some kind of idiotic savant that had eschewed social skills for intelligence." She nodded, as if coming to a conclusion that she had already hypothesized before. "…I knew it. You're actually an asshole, aren't you?"

"Thank you for not mincing with your words." I replied in a deadpan, focusing back on my work as I shifted through some tabs on the browser. There were some replays of famous matches between national teams, and I noted the way that the coach prioritized between different players from the other team. In fact, it was almost like a strategy game, although it requires more belief in the capabilities of the players than anything else.

…Ah, now _that_ was what I was missing. Belief. "Hey", I said, Kataoka's attention, "…Do you think that we should test the girls' skills in basketball first?"

She hummed, placing a hand on her chin as a thoughtful expression flashed through her face, "Well, I do think that it's a good start to see where we currently stand in regards to Kunugigaoka's varsity team." Her eyebrows furrowed, before her gaze turned towards me, "…You got anything in that rotten mind of yours?"

My eye twitched, but I let it through since her opinion was right on the money, "Kayano won't be playing." I said as if it was a reflex, and Kataoka nodded at me approvingly before her gaze quickly sharpened, slowly shuffling away from me. "…I don't like what's currently going on in your mind, but I'll ask anyway", I said in a deadpan, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Just how did you come across that information exactly?"

"I'm a boy in the midst of puberty. Do you really think that I wouldn't notice such a thing?" I said, pointing a finger towards myself with a blank gaze in my eyes. To her credit, her cheeks flushed red before she apologized. "…Well, all I need to do is gather more information on the varsity team, collate all the data on E-class's performance, and make a game plan. I think I've got a rundown on all that I needed."

"So…"

"Yes. We eat."

"I have a feeling that I underestimated you, Hikigaya-san."

"I think I'll take that as a compliment, Kataoka-san."

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

"This is…" Korosensei stared, blank-eyed at the events currently happening at one half of the lot behind the satellite campus. Indeed, sensei. I have successfully capitalized on your incessant excitement and turned it into a weapon for my own purposes. The mock-up model of the basketball court in the main campus was currently being used to its fullest potential, with two teams all made out of women tried to one-up each other in various ways. "Hikigaya-kun…Just how fired up are you for this?" I blink, staring at him with a confused expression on my face, before I turned my back towards the mock-basketball court. Indeed, I was currently watching the girls perform in a mock-up of a game, watching their various strengths and weaknesses and coming up with various strategies in order to make use of them. My laptop was beside me, showing videos of the varsity team outperforming the various schools in the prefecture, and I pored over them with a keen eye. How long had I last slept, you ask? Well, less than three hours over the past weekend. Between preparing for the basketball game and studying for the midterms, there was little less time for me to sleep.

"Ah, that", I replied in a monotonous voice, making Korosensei shriek as he quickly moved a few steps away from where I sat. It was rude as hell, but I didn't have enough heart in me to make a comeback, "As of the moment, I'm currently playing off the girls against each other in order to find out their strengths and weaknesses. More information would only increase the chances of our class winning." I said with a nod, and Korosensei hummed in realization before turning towards me.

"…So, how did you convince the rest of the girls that this was necessary?"

"The winning team plays off against one another, all the way up to a 1v1. Whoever wins that match gets an all-expense paid date with a guy in the classroom." I blandly reply, and I winced and took a step back as Korosensei's eyes flared up with passion. Seriously, just what the hell is his shipping problem? Was it a disorder or something? "…Also, I told them that you're paying for said date."

"Guh!" My blank eyes stared at Korosensei, who looked like he was actually punched with something that hurt him. "H-H-Hikigaya-kun, I know that being a teacher here is paying well, but have some mercy on your Sensei, please! I'm already taking on a diet of friend tissue paper as of late, and I have to continue on eating that until my payday!"

"Your payday is on the same date as the…heh, well, date, so I'm sure that you can pay for it." I said, and Korosensei tried to dodge out of a moving air fist directed straight to his gut, but he failed and consequently vomited out some mucus. I took a step away from the damn thing as it tried to go back towards Korosensei's body. Just…no. "So decide, Sensei. Shipping your favorites together…or your salary."

Indeed, it was a sadistic choice that I had forced upon him. It might be that he's nearly impossible to kill due to his ability fly around the place at Mach 20, but who says that psychological warfare wouldn't work as well? Of course, I shouldn't put him in situations like this _all_ the time, but doing it sparingly was enough to keep the shock factor from going out in style. "Ugh…Good job, Hikigaya. Only you can wound me like no one else can. My wallet…"

"You should consider investing in a couple of businesses, then", I spoke up, watching Hayami pass the ball towards Nakamura even without line of sight. That would be useful to have in the actual match, but I guess it's up to me to find a way in order to offset her stamina. She might be quick and pass like that blue-haired guy that I read on a manga (it was research, I assure you), but at her current pace, she can only do so for about a single quarter. "If you could rake in enough money from those investments, then you could simply use that to buy your candy stash and leave the rest of your salary in the bank."

"Well…that's most certainly true, but I doubt that I would have enough time to see my efforts bloom." Korosensei replied, a thoughtful tone in his voice that soon gave way into that familiar _annoying_ lilt, "Since you know, either I'll be dead by then or I'll destroy the world. The latter half is _so_ much more likely to happen. Unless of course, the rest of you step up."

"Shut up, I'm concentrating", I snapped back, blasting the damn octopus with a magazine of BBs. As usual, he was dodging it every simple time, and he was currently massaging my back while he did so. It might look a bit weird from the outside…hell, it even looked and _felt weird_ from my perspective, but at least it took care of the back pains. Shouldn't have been sitting up for two whole days…Ugh, this just sucks. "Sensei, take over for me for a while and observe them, please? It might be a good time to take a rest now…" I closed my eyes, before a stray thought came into my mind and my posture straightened once again. "Of course, if I hear any complaints from the girls, you're getting the assault rifle treatment."

Ignoring Korosensei's shiver, I heaved a deep sigh and closed my eyes, leaning forward and slumping my shoulders as I did so. A few seconds later, I was asleep.

* * *

 **AN: Alright, alright, it's been two months since Deadeye last updated (a fact that my friend likes to remind me), and I've finally tracked down the cause as to why I was disinterested in writing down more chapters for Deadeye: the length of each chapter is** _ **too damn long**_ **. I mean, taxing your brain for about 6k words on end would be enough to make me drool, and along with laying all the plot strings, trying to tie them all up together, getting some foreshadowing in…yeah, it's pretty back-breaking work. It's the main reason why I like writing A Phantasmal Existence when I'm bored, really; most of the chapters range from 700-1k words, so I could always whip something up on the spot. Plus, the arcs are shorter, given that I'm the one setting the pace for it, and not like Deadeye, wherein I have to follow the timeline's plot.**

 **In any case, this means that each chapter of Deadeye would be covering about 3.5k-5k words. Not much of a difference, some of you might say, but for me…it's a pretty big one, considering every 1k words on Word is like, three pages already…**

 **So, like, follow, review, do all of those things (and** _ **lord God do I need more reviews**_ **), and more! Feedback's pretty important, and it also gives me a rush of dopamine whenever I check on my sight and see a whopping 50k+ views on my story. Next up on my agenda: making sure that this story reaches TVTropes!**

 **In any case, this is Broken Paladin, signing out! (God, I need to think of a more fitting ending line…)**


	24. 22 - Preparations for War

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 22 – Preparations for War

* * *

Dating. The word comes to my mind with negative connotations, especially in modern society wherein everyone is too busy to actually figure out whether or not another person could measure up to their standards for marriage. Along with the fact that new media has popularized 'ideal' candidates for dating, the amount of couples in Japan has hit an all-time low. Some people had given up in finding a date entirely, and thus shut themselves off from society to become NEETS or hikikomoris. Both are not mutually exclusive in the process. Also, I did _not_ just describe myself. That would just be too sad.

In any case, why would I bring up the topic of 'dating' to the fore, when I, Hikigaya Hachiman, wholeheartedly believe that such things are not worth wasting my time for in the first place? Why would I need the insight of an ex-rejected confessor? Such questions are important in my line of work, you see, when gathering up information in order to perform the ultimate prank. Or killing Korosensei. Both are not mutually exclusive.

While the boys of class 3-E could simply get by on nothing but old shonen tropes and a _lot_ of willpower, women are more decidedly…manipulative, sadistic, and all-around ruthless. Let it be note that this is from my personal experience upon hanging out with such women like Nakamura, Kanzaki, Hayami, and Kataoka, and so as much as I would like for you to give me some evidence portraying to the contrary, I would stand by my opinion thank you very much.

(Although, I do need some help. As much as I hate to say this, having the company of someone with testosterone is actually cathartic. Having someone to unload on all of my problems is fun. It's just a coincidence that I find Korosensei to be the perfect candidate for it.)

Now, in order to get the girls of class 3-E motivated to actually _do_ some basketball training, I posited that whoever wins a series of matches would get an all-expense paid date with a boy in the class. Paid for my Korosensei. Thus, this declaration sent the girls into frenzy, and even I was astounded by the viciousness that they had displayed throughout the course of the match. I could even tell you that I was actually a little bit scared to hold the end of my bargain, since I was originally planning to play it off as a joke.

With a metaphorical gun to my head however, I resolved to make sure that such a reward could actually be obtainable in reality. For my checklist, I had three things to do. Namely:

Blackmail Korosensei into sponsoring the 'date'. Status: Completed.

Inform the guys of class 3-E about the stakes of the 'practice match' of the girls, so that they wouldn't be taken by surprise when they are suddenly abducted in the middle of the day and are forced to go on a date with a girl that they don't like. Status: Ongoing.

Make some kind of itinerary just in case that the girl that won the 'practice match' doesn't know what to do. Status: To be done. I need some help on this one though, since I'm pretty sure that I _suck_ at doing these types of things. Which is why I offloaded the work off to Komachi. I'm waiting for a reply at any moment in time.

"Wait", Maehara raised a hand, and I pointed my wooden dowel towards him as he stood up. "I understand the need to motivate the girls into actually practicing, but did you really have to sacrifice us as motivation?" He asked his question with exasperation in his tone, but I could hear the hints of excitement hidden in his voice. Geez, tsundere for women, aren't you?

"Like the girls would pick you anyway." I deadpanned, and Maehara looked like he'd been shot through the heart, being pinned to the ground with the force of my words as he fell unconscious and started drooling on the floor. Truly, Hachiman Skill no. 42, [Deadpan Sniper Bullet], is a formidable skill. I am truly glad to have learned this. "In any case", I said as I cleared my throat, my gaze moving towards the guy's representative. "Isogai, you better get ready. As we speak, there are bloodthirsty women duking it out on the basketball court right now, so I'd rather you be prepared to get ready on a date. Seriously. You're like candy for the girls here."

Needless to say, I wasn't jealous being in his position. I have watched too many episodes of that ecchi alien harem anime to tell you that managing a harem – or at the very least trying to manage the amount of girls that have an interest in you – is not for the faint of heart. You either need to be as dense as a brick, which would most likely result in the increase of bone density in the head area, or be the greatest playboy known to man, which would most likely result in your decapitated head being taken on a wonderful afternoon cruise.

"This concludes the emergency meeting of all the boys in class 3-E. All of you are dismissed." I slammed the clipboard onto the podium, watching the entire thing crack with a twitching eye. The rest of the guys stood up and began talking to one another as they exited the room, leaving the deflated cushions and the overturned cardboard boxes behind. At least the entire room wasn't a health hazard for those with asthma, so the room had that going for it.

I'm still going to complain about not having some kind of summoning system, though. Imagine what you could do with such a thing…

"Hikigaya-kun, have you considered teaching other people?" I freeze, watching yellow tentacles writhe at my peripherals, but I quickly relaxed a second later as I turned around and saw Korosensei eating another dango from his seemingly endless pile. Seriously, where does all that food go?

And teaching? Hell no. "I wouldn't be a good pick to be a teacher, Korosensei", I said with a bitter smile and a shake of my head. "To be honest with myself, I'm an asshat. I'm pretty sure that I'll either push my students to become better, or they'd drop out due to not being able to keep up." I sighed, "…Really, the fact that you suggested me to be teaching in front of a whole crowd should be the first sign that you aren't going to convince me on that."

"But I think I'd do fine as a mentor or a tutor", I replied, cutting Korosensei off before he could speak. "Of course, my so-called students need to make sure that they can survive a training regiment, along with having enough determination to continue on subjecting themselves through my teachings."

"Are you talking about teaching here, or something else?" Korosensei deadpanned, and I was forced to blink for a second as I processed the words. Korosensei. Deadpanned. Snark. Comeback. Tsukkomi. Yellow Octopus.

"…I think I'm going crazy."

"Then you should go and see a psychiatrist, Hikigaya-kun."

"Is that an actual suggestion, or are you just messing with me?"

"Do figure it out for yourself, Hikigaya-kun." Korosensei widened his grin, and he chuckled ominously before disappearing in a flash of Mach 20 speed. Really, I'm just tempted to just pull out my BB gun and start shooting him…but Hachiman Skill no. 23 is still not fulfilled as of the moment. Which is to say…dammit.

Korosensei _shouldn't_ become a tsukkomi by any means necessary.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

Wooden katana that I appropriated in Kyoto some chapters ago? Check. Rolled up magazines taped tightly to vital spots? Check. Wooden clogs? Check. Cloak? Che– no. No capes.

In any case, time to enter the demons' lair.

The door to the mock-up gymnasium opened up, and I narrowed my eyes as I stealthily made my way inside. Stealth was useless however, since the slight scraping of the sliding door was enough to alert each and every female out of the competition to turn and stare towards me. Needless to say, I froze up as well, seeing as that this situation was kind of like an intense showdown just before high noon. Too bad there isn't some kind of cyborg girl on the line or something. And I also have a katana instead of a six-shooter. And my left arm isn't a prosthetic and you know what this isn't anything like that video.

"Commander."

At that, I exhaled in relief. Really, the fact that they didn't call me 'Manager' was proof that they weren't that moody as of the moment. Now, all I need are some cardboard cut-outs of battery guns and some hair dye, and I could have my very own fleet. Of course, I'd need an Admiral's uniform, but cosplay stores sell that often enough. I think. Not that I would be seen in such places with blood running through my veins.

"So, who's left?" I asked, and the rest of the girls giggled as they just nudged their chins towards the court. On the other side, the males were currently deep in thought, their analytical gazes trained on the remaining two girls that were vying for the ultimate prize. Actually, I've never seen the guys this serious.

In any case, I turn towards the court…and promptly choked on my own spit. "Commander, you alright there?"

"Y-Yeah…I'm fine." I said, thumping a fist against my heart as I tried to get it back in working order again. Really, jumpscares like that aren't good for the body. I mean look at me, I almost had a heart attack seeing Nakamura and Hayami square it off in the middle of the ring. "I might be seeing things though." I said, rubbing my eyes together before I looked at the court once again. Nope, they're still there, duking it out like there's no tomorrow. Hayami squared off a three-pointer, but Nakamura managed to steal the ball when it was her opponent's turn for two times. Yup, they're really just wailing on each other with everything that they've got right now. "Can somehow smack me in the back of the head to make sure that I wasn't seeing things?"

All I heard was someone saying "Gladly" before I stumbled forward from the impact, my ears ringing from the sudden shocks as dark spots played across my vision. I heaved a breath through gritted teeth, and managed to steady myself on a railing, watching the match play in slow motion. I mean, Hayami's using her smaller body and higher agility to make sure that the ball lands where she wants it to be, so it's outside the possible range of movement that Nakamura could do whenever the ball bounces back up. By that time, Hayami already used her agility to run right past Nakamura's guard and shoot the ball for another three-pointer…

…Oh god. This is really happening, isn't it? "Alright, so now that I've established that there isn't anything wrong with me…except for my looks, general personality, outlook in life, and all of that stuff…" My eyes glanced towards the side, watching the glint of yen being exchanged by the hundreds. Orange eyes met mine, and I gave Kurahashi a slight nod. "So, who's betting on whom?"

As I knew it, there was already a betting ring the moment that those two started playing. I mean really, I'm beginning to know my classmates a little bit better. There is no way in hell that I could see the fact that Kurahashi's eyes turn to yen symbols whenever someone places another bet. Must be nice, playing house. "It's currently even between either two of them", she said, pulling out a notepad and a pencil as she began ticking the various names on the list– wait, what the hell are the _teachers_ doing, betting on something like this!? "Most likely, it's going to be a draw, which means a house victory for me."

Plus, you get to go home feeling good about yourself for making more in a single day than what your parents earn in a week. I get that. I really do. Could you share some money for this poor Hikigaya, please? "And what about the other bets?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, turning up her eyes to stare at me with an innocent smile on her face. That was the problem though; that expression of hers was _way_ too innocent.

"You're girls", I said, rolling my eyes to the side as the rest of the girls seemed affronted by my statement. Well, it's true though, so they've got no reason to complain. "That means that you probably set up another betting pool to see which one of the guys they're going to ask out if either one of them wins." My lips pursed, and I hummed, watching the two remaining players duke it out in the final quarter of the match. "…Well, I'll take a shot", I mused out loud. "Nagisa for Nakamura and Chiba for Hayami?"

"Spot-on, Hikigaya-kun", Bitch-sensei said from beside Kurahashi, and I forced myself not to grimace when I heard of her tone. Seriously, these types of people. They're the main reason as to why I've sworn out of doujinshi ever since the start of my second year in middle school. Also, I've almost never seen Bitch-sensei around aside from the English classes. She's probably trying to get inside Karasuma-sensei's pants. Also, speaking of Karasuma-sensei and my ongoing objective to prank him, where was he?

…Probably at the government office that he works at, considering that he isn't here. Why am I asking questions that I knew the answer to? What the hell, me?

"Actually, those guys are the second most probable guy to be picked by those two." Kanzaki said, peering over Kurahashi's shoulder to see the current percentages. "…Do you want to know who the lucky guy is?"

[Hikigaya Weakness no. 14: He's naturally curious.]

"…Isogai?"

[Hikigaya Weakness no. 15: He's also a dense brick when push comes to shove.]

"""Idiot."""

What's with all the insults here? I've still got a heart, you know.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

"Komachi?"

" _Oh, is this what you call a rare event?_ " The voice came from the other line was most undoubtedly my sister's, given the general exuberance that still seeped through the other side of the line. " _My beloved Onii-chan, calling me willingly to check up on my wellbeing despite being dismissive of my attitude most of the time? Kyaa, what a hinedere you are, Onii-chan! That's bound to get me a lot of Komachi points!_ "

"I'd like to cash in the Komachi points now, though."

"…" The line on the other end was silent, as if I had just said a sentence that had utterly changed the entire world. Well, at the very least it was one person, since when my beloved little sister came back on the phone; her voice was steady and serious, like she was gearing up for war. " _What's wrong, Onii-chan?_ "

"Alright, listen up closely, since I wouldn't repeat it again." I said, taking a deep breath as a bit of static came across the other line. "I'm…going on a date."

Once again, silence. Then, after a few seconds of waiting, I heard some various types of conundrum on the other side of the line, as if my ditz of a little sister had finally cashed in her card and slammed face-first into a pole. Well to be honest, if I was in her place, I'd probably react the same way as well. Although, I'd probably stock up on additional gun and extra magazines first. Also, an LMG and a missile launcher would be nice as well. I'd prefer if the missile launcher was given to me by a smoking hot spy in red though.

" _Is this some kind of prank?_ "

"I'm sorry to say this, but it isn't." I said with a general despondence to my tone. Really, even my cute imouto doesn't believe that I have a date, much less even be the subject of one. "And remember that itinerary that I asked you to do, right?" She didn't answer for a second, to which I just interpreted to a yes, and so I continued on. "I…might need it now. This evening, at the latest."

" _Onii-chan, Komachi's getting worried, you know?_ " The voice on the other line said. " _I don't know if you're being scammed or not, but you could just stand her up. I'm thinking that you just have to bail out and hole yourself up inside your apartment for three days before it's finally safe to go outside._ "

"You see, I'd like to do that, but…" I trailed off, and I swear I could hear a choked sob on the other end of the line. "She always carries a BB gun with her. And she said that if I bail out in any way or another, she'd use it to shoot me in my…well, you know."

" _Komachi is getting worried about the girls that you associate yourself with, Onii-chan._ " She said with a sigh, and I could already picture her shaking her head ala 'What am I going to do with you?' style. " _By far, Yui-san is the tamest of them all._ "

I nodded, taking that statement that my little sister is officially insane, but I didn't voice out my opinion as I was sure that Komachi would just continue on droning on as to how 'perfect' that girl was. I mean, just how dumber can you get by not even knowing the way as to how to contact your school? The fact that we managed to find the rest of her… _friends_ , was just due to some pure dumb luck. " _In any case, I'll get started on making that itinerary now. Just go online later and tell me what you think, alright? Although, I do think that there's nothing else more perfect than what I'm about to plan._ " She sounded so sure of herself that I couldn't even get a single word in…

" _Fufufu…Looks like your cute little imouto is getting my deadbeat of an Onii-chan a girlfriend._ "

At that, I immediately ended the call, more out of my own sanity than anything else. Really, the fact that Hayami won that match was still ringing through my head, since I was so sure that Nakamura could've won that if she didn't fall for a simple feint. But still, what's done was done, and so now I have to deal with the consequences of a tired Hayami walking up to me and forcing me to go on a date with her. I swear, I could still feel Karma's grin from here…

…I couldn't help but shudder once again from that thought. No matter what, don't speak of the Devil, lest he may appear…

* * *

[Omake]: Wholesome Dressing

It was in my belief that Nakamura won fair and square. What I _didn't_ believe however, was my friend marching up to me and forcing me to go on a date with her. Not that I couldn't say no, since those blue eyes were still enough to evoke a sense of terror even after a day has passed.

Still however, I made my own bed, so I had to sleep in it.

What made me even more suspicious however, was that Nakamura immediately led me to a cosplay shop. Then forcefully made me put on a wig and a female school uniform.

"Hachi-san, look over here!" She said in a happy tone, a trickle of blood flowing from her nostrils as I turned towards her with a glare. The flashes of the camera momentarily caught me off-guard however, but given the happy squeal that she gave off, I can only assume that she got something even more important.

I swear, however…I swear that someday, I'll burn this place to the ground. Consequences be damned.

On the bright side, at least I now knew the place where Nakamura had brought in that female uniform, so that was nice. Since it made it easier for me to burn it down, of course.

* * *

 **AN: Here's the chapter for March! Finally got myself to follow on schedule, which is** _ **pretty**_ **cathartic if I do say so myself. Still nothing much to see here, but after the next chapter, the women's basketball arc is going to start. Not that I have much material to write with though, since Ansatsu focuses on the boy's side of the ring, with all of the shonen tropes and all. So most likely, I'm going to be glossing over those and just highlighting major details, and just write on from there. Deadeye's greatest suit is the fact that there's actual character progression, so I'm going to be sticking with that. A whole class to progress one at a time makes for perfectly good fille– I mean,** _ **writing material**_ **.**

 **Also, I just noticed this, but I haven't been writing much scenes with Bitch-sensei. I mean don't get me wrong, she plays an important role in the development of class 3-E, but I'm not seeing any important that she could play in 8man's character growth, however slight. Like, most of the ideas that I come up seem to be just 8man snarking at her poorly-veiled attempts to get Karasuma in bed, and she has to 'hire' 8man to take note of Karasuma's habits. Probably going to be a one-off chapter, with not much character development compared to the other classmates.**

 **In any case, follow, favorite, and please for the love of god I need more** _ **reviews**_ **for Deadeye! Something to stroke my ego– I mean,** _ **improve my writing**_ **is great food for thought while thinking about the next shenanigans that I might do for the next chapters of Deadeye. Also, check out my other stories! [This War of Mine] is an Oregairu crossover with RWBY, and it details 8man's journey through the world of Remnant as seen by the eyes of others. Mostly a collection of one-shots, and officially ends at the 'Fall' of Vale at the end of Season 3.**

 **Additionally, there's also that FSN fic [A Phantasmal Existence] featuring my favorite OC and character for other works, Bree. Each chapter consists of 1-2k words, which can be done in an hour or so when I'm bored or something like that. It's already nearing its end, with one more chapter to go (I think), but it's the first of a few stepping stones in establishing an actual omniverse that features Bree as a distinct character through it all. He is Azathoth, after all.**

 **In any case, see you around people! Broken Paladin here, ready to debate moral quandaries while beating me enemies with a mace!**

* * *

PS: That new cover art? My drawing. I would appreciate some feedback on that as well.


	25. 23 - STALKER: Shadow of Hachiman

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 23 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Hachiman

* * *

If I were to describe a woman's train of thought in one word, then surely it must be with 'hidden'. Most cues that they show are not overtly-expressed, and thus body reading is a must when trying to deal with them almost all the time. A twitch of a brow here, a slightly strained tone there, and you need to know that you had crossed a line lest you become the object of a woman's scorn. For men, most could understand each other perfectly fine due to the fact that they were raised to wear their hearts on their sleeves. I however, was forced to learn and adapt the ways of women, and thus it had made me a deadly foe to come up against: a man that knows the minefield of social cues surrounding a woman.

Not that I was bragging about it or anything. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I was just ranting to spite myself, seeing as I haven't even gotten a single iota of a motive as to why Hayami had asked me out to a date. With all expenses paid for by Korosensei. In fact, that octopus is now looking at me with barely-concealed paranoia, as if I had plotted for this kind of development all along. Seriously Korosensei, I _do_ think the photo of my dumbstruck face being posted all over the classroom was already punishment enough. Were you getting back at me for the previous times as well? As far as I knew, you were violating someone's privacy, so I felt that I needed to do something about it.

…Well, there was no more time for ranting now, so I guess I need to clear up my thoughts and dump them all into the bin for later perusal. The doors of the train opened, and I stepped out of my comfort zone in order to meet a writhing throng of people coming to and fro the station. I pointedly ignored the various people who walked out of the train with unfolded newspapers concealing their faces, and I could only shake my head at the obvious attempt at a disguise. Honestly, if I was a mook in a stealth game, then I would've already rung the alarm.

There was nothing that I could do for most part however, considering that I needed to specifically go out of my way in order to track them down. Which is of course, something that I absolutely _shouldn't_ do, if Komachi's notes were telling the truth. There was also the reason as to _why_ she knew this information, but I shelved it off for later. Interrogations were done best with some tools, after all…

"Ah." A voice piped up from my left, a dull sound of surprise coming from her lips as I glanced towards her. Hayami glanced at me with emerald eyes, her hair tied up into a single bundle that stroked against her shoulders. Did I also mention that she wore glasses? Yes. Glasses. Dark frames noticeable enough to be seen, but not thick enough to be considered cumbersome. Truly, a perfectly balance between aaand I'm getting ahead of myself here. "Hikigaya. It seems that you've arrived early."

"So did you", I replied back, taking the uneasy moment of silence to continue on looking. As of the moment, she wore a dark beige blouse, leaving her arms exposed and being bunched up as to where the skirt had met it. Speaking of the skirt, it was pure black, and reached down to the middle of her thighs, and the rest of her legs were covered up in similar black tights, offset by the blue and white sneakers that she wore for her footwear. Overall, I can say that she has successfully hit all of the Hachiman buttons, and I _can't_ believe that I just thought of that. If I were to be honest, she kind of fits the image of a–

"Hikigaya?"

"Bookstore!"

Damn…that was close. I almost inadvertently said that she looked like a 'bookkeeper'. Not even two minutes into this thing, and I almost wanted out. No – I think I wanted to be vaporized into dust. _That_ was the amount of pain that I have to go through just to make my suffering end. "Bookstore?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the side, and I took in a sharp breath as I willed myself to keep my voice calm and even. It's alright me, I know that she looks absolutely stunning right now and that your normally dormant hormones are starting to act up, but you need to play it cool for the moment. Save the squealing for later.

"Y-Yeah", I said, stammering slightly whilst scratching my cheek and oh god why am I feeling so awkward right now. "I was searching for some books online, and one of the bookstores here has one of the books that I wanted. So if you'd like, I want to stop by there first before they get sold out."

"Sure", she replied, and I swore that I could see a thin smile on her face as we started walking out of the station. Of course, it didn't mean that I stopped paying attention towards our tail, and I immediately noticed the moving potted plants outside my field of vision. I sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of my nose as I tried to stem the urge to shoot at them with a BB gun, and Hayami seemed to notice my less-than-pleasant thoughts. "Hikigaya-san, what's wrong?"

My eyes were focused into a half-lidded dare directed in front of me, with occasional glances towards my left hand. Hayami focused on it, and I disguised the pointing motion towards our right as a fidget, and her green eyes scanned the area until– ah. She noticed. The fact that she kept her own gaze ahead and didn't say anything more means that she got my message. If I saw any kind of blush on her cheeks, then I didn't comment on anything. That way lay a particularly dangerous minefield that I didn't want to traverse.

The morning light that came from the sun was more of a warning than anything, seeing the fact that there was a cool, breeze rushing past us even though it was supposed to be a relatively windless day. "Quite a little bit breezy at the moment, isn't it?" I spoke up; once again ignoring the fact that I heard quite a few specific catcalls sent our way.

Hayami hadn't heard it however, since she turned towards me with a blank glare that made me realize that I had apparently said something wrong. "You're not using it as an excuse to peek, Hikigaya-san." She grabbed her skirt and tugged it downwards, and I could only sigh at the fact that she had completely misinterpreted my words. Considering that she huffed and started to walk at a faster pace even without knowing our destination, I could only shake my head and follow after her, wondering just what had I even done wrong.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

The bell rang, and both of us stepped into the musty book shop as my eyes immediately started scanning for the aged book. "Welcome!" A voice said, and Hayami froze in place as I started to take a step forward. "Huh…Rin-chan?" I glanced back towards Hayami, and I could see her eyes bugging out whilst her mouth started moving erratically. Alright, so this maybe some cause for panic, but I'm sure that Hayami could take care of it. Right…? "Who's that guy with you?"

Hayami kept silent, instead focusing her attention towards a random aisle in the bookshop, and the woman at the counter smiled even wider as she took a look at me. "Rin-chan, is this…?" She trailed off, and after a few agonizing seconds of silence, Hayami nodded in response. "My, my, what a lucky guy you are." She said, turning her attention back towards me as I felt a chill on my spine. Probably, the woman's narrowed eyes had something to do with that. "…Take care of my Rin-chan properly, alright?"

"Y-Yes ma'am." Don't stutter! Why the hell are you stuttering, me!? Did my hikikomori instincts kick in and deem this woman as one befitting of a higher social status than me!? "S-So, can we…?"

"A bit too early to be doing _that_ , isn't it?"

"I meant browsing through books." At last, a set-up for my tsukkomi instincts to kick in. Also, I tried not imagining said scenario in my head, since I most definitely didn't think about it due to me being a tasteful– I mean _tasteless_ , young man. Hayami coughed, tugging at my polo and glancing towards the aisles, and I immediately took stock of the situation as I slumped forward and sighed. "…Then, we'll be going."

"Don't mess up the aisles, you two!" We won't, so stop implying things that I wouldn't do anytime soon. Actually, screw the time limit – stop implying things that I wouldn't do, _period_.

In any case, the two of us made our way through the stacks of books, with Hayami following just a few steps behind me. My eyes scanned the spines of the books, trying to find that book that I wanted, and I managed to pluck it out from one of the more desolate aisles. I started reading the synopsis on the back cover, and I spoke up in order to break the silence. "…So, who was she?"

Silence was my reply for a few moments, leaving me to search for the other books in the aisle as I waited for her response. "She's… my aunt", she said after a moment or two, "I live here, and I help out from time to time for some extra pocket money." I hummed, stopping my tentative reading as my eyes glanced up from the book and stared at her. A part of me felt like an ass for intruding into what she probably called her home, but there was also a part that was curious to see what it felt like living inside a bookstore. I eventually decided to take the latter option.

"…It must be nice, having an aunt like that, huh?" I asked, once again turning back towards my reading, only for me to pause and double take when I took a look at the page number. Did the pages flutter somehow? The closest air conditioner was on the other side of the aisle. Was it that strong to even affect a page here? Hm, things to think about… "Mine usually spoils my little sister, so I don't know what it feels like."

"Well, it must be because Komachi is more sociable than you", she replied with a half-lidded gaze, to which I simply replied with a shrug. It was true anyway; Komachi was the one that actually pressed them for presents and stuff whenever they come by anyway, while I simply sat at the back just reading through pocketbooks and the like. "In any case, my aunt's a pretty decent woman." A thin smile formed on her face, and a flash of vindictive sadism crossed her eyes while I shivered, "She also still hasn't gotten a boyfriend yet, so I do believe that I've gotten one up on her in that regard."

Once again, I pause in my perusal, turning to look at Hayami once again only to see her mowing through the pages of another book, her cheeks burning and her eyes dulled in some sort of a haze. I sighed; pursing my lips as I slammed my book closed and made my way over towards her. Her shoulders were shaking, and I could tell from here that she was already a quivering mess. Even if some part of my mind told me that her current state was cute…I gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Look, I'm not that experienced with this thing either", I said, a wince forming on my face as a stray memory of… _her_ flashed through my mind. "But…I can safely say that I'm not…looking for anything other than friendship for now."

Her shoulders slumped forward, and I could almost hear the punch connect with my gut as I felt disgusted with myself. I was in a situation wherein someone had actually told me their emotions directly to my face, and I could only reject their feelings while trying to word it as carefully as possible. Was this what… _she_ felt during that time in the hallway? Actually, of all things considered, Hayami had picked a good spot to say this. If it was somewhere more public, rumors would fly at the speed of light, and then both of our reputations were ruined. Still, to think that I'm still affected by _that_ incident…I'm just digested at myself. Didn't I come here to forget all of that? To make sure that _her_ influence is gone? Then what the hell am I doing, freezing up at the right moment due to being unable to move on?

That's it. I'm a hypocrite. A goddamn hypocrite that's not even better than Orimoto Kaori. One who inadvertently condemned someone due to their own callousness, and had never looked back since. She was probably still out there, continuing on her daily life without a care in the world for the guy that she rejected in front of an entire hallway. If I come back to Chiba, then most certainly she wouldn't remember the name of Hikigaya Hachiman. Would I do the same given enough time? Delegate Hayami to the sidelines and continue on as if nothing had ever happened in life? No. I need to be better. To be able to work out a solution without both parties getting hurt.

Which is why the inclusion of two words made all the difference. "Wait", Hayami perked up, whirling towards me with wide green eyes framed by glasses. This close to her, I could certainly see the appeal of what she's currently wearing, and as much as I tried to keep the blush from forming on my face, I leaned back a few inches to make sure that she didn't see my burning cheeks. "You said 'for now'."

Trust her to capitalize on that. It might be an example of me leading her on, but if I wanted to make sure that Hayami was fine, then I…I have to do this. But could I trust Hayami with the knowledge? I glanced towards her eyes, brimming with both happiness and desperation…and decided to bite the bullet. "I'm…holding off on anything for now. Friendship is fine, but anything else is…off-limits." A smile formed on my face, and I turned around to look at the other side of the aisle to make sure that Hayami couldn't see my expression. "Last year, there was a bumbling idiot who admired someone from his class. He didn't even know anything about her, but he just decided to confess to her anyway because he was an _idiot_ that haven't even known anything about her save for a name."

"Obviously, he was rejected. Then, he was mercilessly bullied until he quit the school." I sighed, pushing my bonnet down over my eyes while I continued. "He locked himself in his room, doing nothing but beat himself up over the fact that he was nothing more than a _good-for-nothing idiot_. His sister soon had enough however, and pleaded for him to come back. If I were to be honest, she was probably the only person at that point that he stilled trusted. After graduating from a shut-in, he then threw himself into work. Studying for entrance exams. Learning proper social cues. By the third year of middle school, he enrolled into Kunugigaoka Junior High School, but was sent to class 3-E instead due to not having enough student slots."

Hayami gasped, and I chuckled, removing my glasses and turning back to face her. She froze, as if she was caught in the headlights of a train headed straight right towards her. Except, replace 'train' with 'super creepy eyes belonging to a super-creepy person' instead. "I…wouldn't mind if you try to get to know me better." I said, a smile on my face as Hayami's lips trembled as she took a step back. "Just…I still have nightmares over it, so…" I averted my gaze, taking note of the fact that the floorboard that I was staring at had about three holes that were brought about due to wood rot.

Silence reigned through the still air of the library, and I only perked up when a pair of glasses were slid onto my person. Hayami had plucked out the pair that I held in my right hand, and she wore it as her own. Once again, I felt my heart skip a beat, and I tried to move my gaze away…if it were not for Hayami grabbing my face by the cheeks and keeping me from looking anywhere else. "Hikigaya-san…" she began, a smile on her face that was a bit wider than what she normally did. "Thank you. For trusting in me."

I was silent, and I if I were a betting man, then I'm pretty sure that my mouth was slightly hanging open. For once. For _once,_ somebody thanked me. I closed my eyes, not even caring whether or not droplets of tears began forming at the edges, and Hayami released my face so that I could raise an arm to wipe the tears off. "I'll be waiting at the front of the shop. Come by when you're done getting all the books that you need, alrigth?"

Hayami smiled once more, and she made her way towards the front of the bookstore, where her aunt was probably grilling her for information. One that I…trust that she wouldn't give out. I delved into the passages once again, my mind flittering through words at a quick pace, and after a slight puff of air scored against the corner of the page that I was currently reading, I stopped and stared back towards the bookshelf.

"Korosensei…do you think that what I did was wrong?"

The octopus froze, and something shifted behind me as a small puff of hair disheveled my hair. Where there was once an empty aisle, there laid Korosensei, with toga and all. His ordinary wide grin was just a thin line, and his bead-like eyes stared at me impassively. A few moments pass between us, before Korosensei spoke. His tone was even, and didn't contain that annoying lilt that he used every time he talked. "If that is the only way you know how to solve problems, then it's my duty to make sure that I get you out of that mindset." He sighed, which was weird seeing as his mouth didn't even move. "…But, I do think that it's not my place to do that."

"Who, then?"

"That's _your_ problem to solve, isn't it?" The grin was back in place, and with a laugh Korosensei once again disappeared out of my sight with a slight puff of air. I sighed, pulling out my BB gun and shooting the spot where he was in just to make sure. It wasn't like an exorcism, but it was somewhat close to it. Damn yellow octopus and that Mach 20 speed…

…The next time I see him, I'm putting a bullet on his gelato.

* * *

[Omake]: Shooting Gallery

"I didn't know you were a sucker for arcade games." I remarked, cocking the imaginary handle on my own weapon as the cutscene continued on playing its remarkably horrible screenplay. Couldn't the arcade industry give at least more thought into the content of their series?

"It helps with my aim", Hayami said, bringing up her gun so that the rear sights were flush against her cheek. "Plus…it would let me know whether or not I've actually surpassed you in becoming a good shot."

My brow twitched. "Did you just…?"

"Yes."

I heaved a sharp breath, passing it through my teeth as the cutscene ended and we were presented with our first batch of disposable mooks. My eyes flashed, and all of the mooks on the screen were killed with utmost efficiency. I turned my gaze back towards Hayami, and a smirk formed on my face. "Game on."

We were banned from that arcade soon after.

* * *

 **AN: You know, what I had in mind while writing this chapter was making it a light-hearted chapter for both 8man and Hayami, but…this happened. Also, for those who were surprised at the fact that Hikigaya knew where Korosensei was, read through the chapter again and pay close attention to 'breezes'. Does Korosensei use his Mach 20 speed to spy on people? Yes. Thus, I took it to its logical conclusion by having the octopus continuously port about the place at Mach 20 speed.**

 **Indeed, he can go up into your face, but he is so stealthy and fast that you can only know of his presence by small puffs of air. *shudders***

 **Anyway, after this chapter, it's back to the main storyline again with the sports festival arc-thing coming up! I…don't have a good shot at writing a by-play of sports events though, so once again I'm most likely going to just gloss over the parts of it. And probably make some snarky commentary in the process.**

… **Also, 8man's first date was 'technically' a success. Go wild with what you think of that.**


	26. 24 - Game Time

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 24 – Game Time

* * *

There was nothing more than I can do for now. The moment that the so-called 'exhibition games' began, our team was immediately ushered towards one of the benches on the court, where we were made to sit down as I began scribbling down on the clipboard that I had with me. My eyes scanned towards the enemy team, where they seemed to be a head or so taller than the girls in my class (which was really a no-brainer, since they wouldn't have made it into the varsity in the first place) and were now taking up their positions. I noted down their positions and smirked, gathering the rest of the girls around me to show them what I had in plan.

"Alright, we've got about thirty seconds before the referee starts blowing his whistle to get us moving along", I said, my gaze meeting each and every single one of them as I sighed and continued. "We're going to be using a blitz approach during the first quarter of the match. Combination of strength and agility, but we're basically giving them a free shot if they get the ball." My gaze sharpened, and I glanced towards the clipboard that I have before making up the decision. "Nakamura, Kataoka, Hayami, Okano, and Kayano. You're up." They stood straighter, and I held out an arm towards the center of the circle while I gave a thin smile.

"Let's give them hell, shall we?"

The girls roared in approval, and I couldn't help but wince at their enthusiasm. It seemed like introducing shonen clichés was a dangerous way to go when dealing with women. Truly, it seems like I'm bound to make mistakes when dealing with their lot. Not that it was due to negligence mind you, but mostly because of outside variables under my control…Ugh, focus Hachiman. Mind on the game.

My hand moved towards my left ear, switching on an earpiece that allowed me to communicate with the rest of them. It was a strategy for us to use, considering that we haven't done much to analyze the rest of the opposition, instead training the rest of the girls in basic skills. It might've made our information game weaker, but I was willing to bet on the fact that the varsity hadn't even tried in the first place. That would be their downfall. " _Everyone hearing this loud and clear?_ "

" _Nakamura reporting in. Got to say Hachiman, nice set-up you've got here._ "

" _Kataoka. Hope that your strategy works._ "

" _Hayami here. Just tell me where I should shoot._ "

" _So all that I need to do is just to rebound and pass it onto the rest?_ "

" _Why am I even here, Hikigaya?_ "

"Kayano, I brought you here for a reason." I said, my tone completely serious as I glanced back towards the court, where everyone seemed to be fired up…except for the green-haired girl herself. "Look at the opposite team", I said, and she followed my order. Within seconds, her eyes had bugged out and she began releasing harsh breaths of air, and she opened her eyes once again to see a raging flame being hidden behind a glance. Good.

" _Hikigaya, this is Nakamura. Kayano seems eager…too much eager, if I do say so myself."_

"She's the blitz", I replied through the connection, smirking at the fact that the game had finally begun and Kataoka had managed to snap the ball back towards Okano, who had immediately began her sprint towards the other side of the court. "Most of them would be focusing on her for the first five minutes since you know… _Kayano_."

" _You're the worst, Hachiman."_

" _Hikigaya-kun, I'm frankly disgusted by your manipulations."_

Both of them stopped to a dead halt, and glared at one another for a single second before resuming their charge towards the enemy court. I sighed, rolling my eyes at the unexpected action and taking down some more notes on the clipboard. Okana managed to duck through one's guard and pass the ball to Hayami. Once I saw the ball flying towards her grasp however, I activated my earpiece once again as I began barking directions.

" _Twenty centimeters to the left, medium shot at 53 degrees._ "

Hayami gave a barely-perceptible nod, and quickly adjusted her footing to make the shot. The ball flew from the three-point line towards the basket…and passed through it with a satisfying _swish_. "Good. Okano, use the distraction by Kayano to get the ball out from under them. Nakamura, follow-up and try to aim for a three-pointer. I'll guide you."

The whole match for the first quarter of the game went like so. Five minutes passed, and as the first five girls on the team were back on the bench and drinking water like they'd been walking through the desert for an entire month, I could only chuckle as I took note of the substitution changes that the varsity team made in order to combat the first style. Now…the strategy has gotten a lot more complex.

You see, the first quarter was easy, since most of them would be too off-guard by the sudden change in tactics to mount a proper defense. By the time that the second quarter rolls around however, it probably means that their coach has gotten ahold of their movements and was probably preparing their team for such a maneuver. Of course, said coach (if they were a competent one of course, but it's not like I'm going to risk that) would probably think of various countermeasures that the new formation might face, and inform the players currently in the court in order to grant more information about the enemy team. Although, since they haven't caught onto the fact that we were using communicators, I do think that we still stand a good chance.

Then again however, this is life. "This is Kingfish reporting to all units. I need a sit-rep, over."

" _What, so we're doing military callsigns, now?_ "

" _Manager-san, I do think that you need to lay off the chuuni for a bit._ "

It wasn't like I didn't take critical damage or anything. I was just grabbing my heart tightly since I was going through a bout of indigestion. That's all. There's nothing more to it, so I'd rather get back to commanding the troops…Or you know, just leave them be. The second set that I sent in have some serious teamwork vibes going on, and I could somehow feel the faint sounds of shounen music playing somewhere in the background. So, I took it upon myself to take a break, taking large gulps of the MAXX Coffee that I brought with me just for this occasion.

Truly, when you're stressed and it looks like a single unlucky mistake is going to do you in, then get yourself a nice shot of MAXX Coffee! It'll blow that blood vessel and send you sky high! You'll die of course, but at least there's no stress now that you're dead! "It seems like you're having a good time."

My eyes glanced to the side, seeing Kanzaki looking on the court, a thin smile on her face as her amber eyes gleamed. Somehow, I found myself holding back a scowl, even though I wanted nothing more than to see how she's holding up. Maybe my [Hikki Instincts] were tingling on reflex…After all; it's highly suspicious to see her lounging around me. "Well, there's no beating the summer heat like downing a shot of pure unadulterated bliss canned into a manageable size."

"…I do think that I need to check in with Korosensei sometime after this. My gut tells me that you're at the brink of an unhealthy addiction."

"Well thank you very much for that astute observation, but as you can see, I am a functional addict." I closed my eyes and smiled, thumping my chest as I preened under my self-introspection. Truly, there is no need to be ashamed of the fact that I am addicted to MAXX Coffee. Of course, I _wouldn't_ recommend getting addicted to anything at all, but I'm an exception since I function better _with_ a shot of MAXX Coffee. And no – not the shot that comes from a syringe, but rather a single gulp off the can. "There is no need to be ashamed of the fact that I refer to MAXX Coffee as a god amongst all gods."

Kanzaki sighed, shaking her head as I continued on gulping down the rest of the MAXX Coffee made available to me. My eyes watched the court, seeing Fuwa bounce a ball towards Hara, who shoulder-checked another member of the opposite team before passing the ball towards Ritsu's stand-in, scoring two points against an opponent that seemed to have tried and dug in to prevent and rush maneuvers like the first quarter.

Too bad that they were currently facing an opponent that was more experienced in attrition warfare. Of course, as long as the food supply lasts, but I think that such things would need to be taken into account in the future.

* * *

[–|–]

* * *

"Now that you're out of MAXX Coffee, I do suggest that you actually start talking to me for once", Kanzaki said as I stared sullenly at the empty tumbler. Just why had I drunk it all in one go…? "So, how's life treating you recently?" A smirk formed on her face as she leaned closer, a hand covering her lips while her eyes gleamed with a scary light. "Still can't get your little jaunt with Hayami-san off your head?"

Flashes of memory passed by, one that of a musty aisle of books, where a redhead slipped her own glasses onto me, and I couldn't help but shake my head as I tried to get it out of my mind's eye. "Possibly", I replied, watching as her expression deflated while I gave her a smirk. "By the way, you're awfully nosy about this. Did someone put you up with it?" I asked with a raised brow, and she craned her head away from me. Well, no answer was still technically an answer in of itself.

I glance towards the rest of the bleachers, where Hayami stared at the court with an impassive expression in her eyes, yet I swore that she glanced towards me when I was about to look towards the court. "Hikigaya-san, it's rude to stare at a girl when another one is talking to you, you know", she said, with mock disappointment in her tone as I settled for having to drink…ugh, _water_. "Sometimes, I do think that façade of stupidity isn't just something that you consciously choose."

Yes, yes, insult my intellect more, please. The fact that I got a higher overall score from you notwithstanding. "Why'd you go out of your way and talk to me, then?" I asked, keeping my mind on the game as I made a gesture for the referee to swap. Fuwa's getting more tired, so I sent Kataoka in for the rest of the team to keep up the pace. There was still a ten point lead with us leading after all, so it should be fine for now. "Fuwa", I said, calling the attention of the girl as I tossed a water bottle at her, "Catch."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome", I replied, going back to observe the match as the varsity scored a free throw. Weird; I didn't see some sort of foul that could've happened in the last few seconds. Maybe…? "I'm still waiting for your reply, you know?"

"And here I thought you were trying to weasel your way out of the conversation."

My lips pursed, a light migraine assaulting my temples as I let out an exasperated sigh. "You know, I could send you in the court right now just to spite you. Sure, we might lose out on a few points, but I do think that's better than letting your thoughts run wild all over the place."

"It seems that you're making some serious assumptions about me", Kanzaki said, a rare frown on her face as I smirked at her. Good job me, it's a point for you. "And what any other reason would I have just to chat with a friend?" I snorted at that. _Friend_. Most of the time, it was the two of us skirting around one another while firing off as many potshots as possible. Normally, I would've expected someone else to have caved in by now, but it seems that being raised into an uptight and a controlling family had its perks, considering that it was progressively getting harder for me to be able to tell truth from lies.

"We're chatting already", I mention, once again focusing on the game as I narrowed my eyes at the fact that there were still three minutes till the quarter ends, with the score gap now being six in favor of us. "Ergo, you must have a different motive for whisking me away rather than just trying to go and talk to a friend."

"No trust for me at all", she said with a sigh, and I could only glare at her with a single eye that managed to slip through my glasses. Kanzaki froze for an instant, before heaving a deep breath and steadying her countenance.

"Get rid of that mask of yours, and I might be able to trust you a little." I shot back, and stopped when I saw the flash of hurt across her eyes. It took me a few seconds to calm myself down, letting a sigh as I did so, and my shoulders slumped forward as I focused on the court once more, watching as Hayami managed a tricky pass towards Nakamura. "…Sorry."

"It's been a while since I heard that word from your lips."

"Are you trying to annoy me?" I said, my eyes flashing with irritation before taking a deep breath to calm myself down. "…Because if you are, then it's working. Just what did I do to make you annoy me anyway?"

"Hayami-san."

"Quoting a single person's name wouldn't be enough for me to get what's going on."

"Sometimes, I really do think that density of yours is a cultivated trait, rather than being a façade."

"Of course. It makes roundabout discussions more annoying for the speaker, after all."

"Fine." She gritted out, her teeth momentarily flashing in anger as amber orbs glanced back towards the court. Her eyes gazed at Hayami for a little while longer, before Hachiman Skill no. 15 activated. My eyes glanced towards her, noting the sudden spike in killing intent that lasted for no more than a second, and the gears in my head clicked. Well, I was both hoping and not hoping that it was the case, which is why I steeled my emotions and continued on staring at the court, pretending as if I didn't come to a conclusion.

"…You should've just ran away when Hayami-san asked you for the date. You _were_ the one that set the rules, after all – you could've just added yourself as being the exception." Once again, I glanced towards her, watching as she clenched her hands into fists that promptly began shaking. Suppressed anger, no doubt. "There's no reason for you to disregard Nakamura-san and I."

I see…it seems that whatever I wanted, Kanzaki wasn't going to give. I let out a deep sigh, wishing that I could enter the haze of MAXX Coffee once again, but I know that it was just me running away from the problem. She wanted an answer; I was going to give her one.

"I'm not going to run away", I said. I didn't know as to where the determination in my voice came from, but I wanted it to stay. I'm not facing an Angel, after all. "It's what I told myself when I let myself out of my own cage, brought about by my own misery and suffering. Daily, I reminded myself that I was worthless; that I had no right to be as blessed as I am now. That I was just dragging everyone around me down." Beside me, Kanzaki once again balled her hands into fists, and skill no. 15 once again activated. "That's why when I went here, I went as myself. No doubts; no second chances – the Hikigaya Hachiman that you see every day is the actual Hikigaya Hachiman. If you wanted to play the roundabout game, then I'll do the same. If someone asked me directly, I'd respond as well."

"Then–"

"–But I fear. I fear that if I try to open myself up once more, I'll be hurt and forced down into a situation that I can't escape of my own power." I let out a hoarse laugh, one that sounded more brittle that I would've expected, yet I soldiered on. I still haven't answered her question. "You see how I react to others. You see how I socialize with them." It wasn't even called socialization, but more or less a way for me to make them hate me as much as possible. "I thought that if everyone in the class hated me, then the only one I could trust was myself. And I was fine with that. I've been alone for too long for me to get rid of that mindset in just a year." All my life I've been shunned by others for circumstances out of my control. When I managed to fight back, the world just puts me into a situation worse off.

The only person that Hikigaya Hachiman can trust is Hikigaya Hachiman. That thought still lingers from the back of my mind; a phantom of the times wherein I had shut myself off from everyone. I let out a breath, shaky and soft, and I managed to glance at my hands. They were shaking as well. "As to why I can tell you this, you're the one that's farthest away from me. You're not too close as Nakamura, nor have you garnered as much…curiosity, as Hayami. It's not about the fact that you're lagging behind, but more or less because you're a stranger that I could unload my problems on without fear of a biased opinion."

We were nearing the end of the game now, with only about a minute left in the fourth quarter. Neck and neck with our class about two points away from a tie, both 3-E and the varsity team were already panting heavily, yet they still soldiered on. Both determination and will won out over the exhaustion that they felt. How I wish I was the same. "Honestly, I don't even know what you see in me." My mind flashed back to the Kyoto trip, and I immediately nipped that one in the bud before continuing on. "The events in Kyoto were more or less a one-off. A classmate of mine was in danger, so I rushed off to rescue them. I would've done the same thing even if it was Okajima."

I traced the patterns of the woodwork in front of me with my tumbler, and I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. "It may be the suspension bridge effect. It may be some other kind of psychological term that I wouldn't know about that made you interested in me. Or maybe you were just trying to find whatever made me tick, only to fall into the abyss. Whatever the reason is, it probably isn't worthy of me. Hikigaya Hachiman doesn't deserve the feeling of being liked."

My arm was raised, blocking a slap that was on the way to hitting my cheek, and I let out a sharp breath at the stinging pain that throbbed just a few seconds after. I glanced upwards, finding myself transfixed by Kanzaki's amber eyes. Somehow, I couldn't help that they felt supernatural right at that moment – alluring, threatening, and filled with _something_ that I couldn't quite understand. Still, I held her gaze. If anyone was going to back down first, it was going to be her.

"I don't care about the reason", she said after a moment of silence, her amber eyes narrowing towards me as I once again glanced towards the court, finding Hayami stopped right in the middle of the three-point line with ten seconds to spare. It looked like our victory might be on a wire. "I don't care whether or not you find yourself undeserving of love." Once again, I met stares with her, and finally recognized that _something_ in her eyes. It was determination. "All that you need to know is that one Kanzaki Yukiko is interested in one Hikigaya Hachiman."

With that, she drew back, holding the area where her hand met my arm whilst wincing in slight pain. I took her words, ran it through my head again, and saved them for later when I was back at my apartment, ready to think over the day. My neck craned back towards the court, where I saw an orange blur flying across the air, its trajectory leading right towards–

…

…I awoke about three hours later in the school infirmary.

* * *

 **AN: See? Told you that I wasn't good at writing sports. All I did was just slap a bunch of generic sports things onto the story and** _ **boom!**_ **Padding.**

 **In any case, did anyone think that I neglected to mention the thousand other details during 8man's date with Hayami in the last chapter? Because I didn't. There was a throwaway line about a bunch of potted plants following them, with both 8man and Hayami realizing that they were being followed. So during the whole she-bang in the bookstore, did that mean that they were the only ones in there? Remember that Hayami went back to the counter after the whole thing ended.**

 **Thus, butterflies.**

 **Actually in hindsight, the basketball arc is pretty much a good way to frame the events from this chapter. Due to the din of both teams cheering each other, one could have a semi-private conversation with another if they know where to look. Plus, considering 8man's propensity to stay away from the main action itself…I do say that the conversation was pretty private.**

 **And yes, 3-E lost due to Hayami giving up a perfect 3-point shot to slug 8man from across the gym. Consequences of that would be discussed in the next chapter.**

 **In any case, tell me what you think of this chapter! I always need more reviews to help my writing become better with each work that I make. Once again, this is Broken Paladin, debating moral quandaries whilst hitting my enemies with a mace. Signing out!**


	27. 25 - Catching Up With You

**Deadeye**

* * *

25 - Catching Up With You

* * *

I wake up to find a whitewashed ceiling, with dull pain coursing through my body as I groaned in pain. Memories filter through my mind, and I felt as if I was trekking through a mountain of sludge. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't yelp. All I could do is let out a hoarse scream as I realized that what Kanzaki had said earlier was- "Hachiman!'

For the second...third time since I woke up, I blinked, seeing a mane of golden hair right beside me, with blue eyes staring at me in worry. "Nakamura..." I bit my tongue, remembering what Kanzaki had said earlier...? Wait, just _why_ am I in the infirmary? All I could remember was an orange blur flying towards my face and oh...I think I now know the cause as to what happened. "...How many hours has it been since the end of the match? And how'd it go?"

"We lost", came the reply, amd I widened my eyes at Nakamura's statement. Just _how_ did we lose? 3-E only had a score difference of two points against the varsity team, and from what I could remember, Hayami had the ball close to the three-point line with almost no defenders...

"Did she flub the shot?" I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure that Hayami could nail that shot even without me acting as a spotter, but it didn't mean that she could do it perfectly every time. We have off-days after all, or maybe the pressure just got to her at the wrong moment? Ugh, great - now I'm making excuses about it. I mean, it's not that I wasted almost all my freetime studying up on basketball or anything. Nor did I forget to review for the midterms since I was too busy sleeping early in excitement for practice. Nope. Not at all. I am _definintely_ not going to ask Korosensei for some remedials. It isn't sarcastic. Actually, that last part was because of me being scared rather than being sarcastic.

"I think she intentionally threw that ball."

The gears in my mind clicked. "Ah, so she was the one that threw the ball." Contrary to my inspired deduction however, Nakamura simply stared at me as if I was lacking a few brain cells. Well, I think I should've already known that Hayami was the one that slugged the ball at me, but I can't know as to _why_ she did that. No, actually, I might have an inkling as to why, but that meant believing that Hayami _had_ actually heard the...conversation that Kanzaki and I had been up to. Which meant that I needed to stay away from her as far as possible. It's the main reason as to why I'm actually hoping that it isn't the case. It actually doesn't mean that I'm _worried_ about her being such a type, since she wasn't my type anyway. The outfit that she wore on the (and excuse me for the words here) 'date' notwithstanding.

"Hachiman, you're spacing out again", Nakamura once again piped up, and I flinched as she snorted and giggled. Once again, my conversation with Kanzaki came to mind, and seeing as one of my Skills isn't activating yet, I'm sure that Korosensei isn't snooping in. I sighed. At the very least, nobody was listening, and we're all alone at the moment...Huh. Hikki skill no. 22, [Tempting Fate, has't activated. Guess I'll take it for what it's worth.

"Nakamura", I began, catching her attention as I looked at her with the most innocent gaze that I can muster. Sadly, she seemed to grow more suspicious about that, so I simply sighed and hung my head low. It's not like I rarely do such a thing, you know... "Do you like me or anything?"

"As a friend, yes."

Isn't that right...? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy about that since the current situation's not going to get worse (Hikki skill no. 22, shut up), but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm happy about it. I mean, is this what it feels like to be friendzoned? Because if it is, then I could finally relate to the guys on the net that were bawling their eyes out after being frienzoned- "Or so I'd like to say, but that I would be just lying for the both of us, isn't it?"

...Why. My hopes for you were so high, Nakamura-san... "Since _you_ of all people know about it, then that means that Kanzaki must've told you about it a few hours ago, right?" To my shocked face, she simply shook her head and sighed. "It was obvious, Hachiman. I mean, you two were at a pretty secluded area, right? Don't ask me-" She immediately said as I raised a hand to ask as to how the hell did she know that, but it seems to be a girl's only secret. Oh what the hell, fine, I'll admit it. She was stalking me as well. "-but guessing from Kanzaki-san's blush, it didn't take a genius to figure out what she was doing."

"And who told you that?" I deadpanned, to which she replied with a half-lidded gaze on her own.

"Korosensei."

"Do you seriously expect a walking sexual harrassment hazard to know just _when_ someone is confessing?"

"...Huh. Now that you think about it..." Nakamura put on a thinking expression as she held a hand to her chin, making me sigh as I leaned back into the infirmary bed. All in all, diversion successful. "Wait, you're trying to distract me, aren't you!?" I flinched, which was more than enough of an answer for her. Just _how_ did she know that exactly!? "Heh. I've been close to you for months now, Hachiman. I can tell these kinds of things." Or most likely, I wouldn't say a good thing about that octopus if I was acting normal.

"I see."

"Are you supposed to be bald, Hachiman?"

That was weird. Did Nakamura just make a reference, out of all things? "Still, that girl is _scary._ Kanzaki, I mean." She leaned back into her seat and crossed her arms behind her head, giving the window a cursory look just to make sure. "Unlike Hayami who could just chuck a basketball at you-" Alright, alright, lay it off already, "-or unlike the glorious me wherein I could just share pictures of you cross-dressing on the net-" I'm still trying to get revenge on you for that. And you refer to yourself as 'glorious'? That's just sad, "She the type of person to suddenly show up in front of you and list out all of your contact information. _Real_ snake, that one." Are you just jealous since I can always detect you when your blackmail sense is tingling? Now that's just pitiful.

"Well!" She exclaimed, pointing a finger towards me with a smile on her face, "Unlike that vile snake or that goddess, I'm a witch." Oi, that's my schtick. I'm the one that's supposed to do that. What are you doing, stealing someone else's lines like that? "That means that I've already ensnared you by the time that you notice it, with no blackmail or stalking required." Like I said, that's what I'm supposed to say! It's not fair if you're the one stealing lines from everybody else while I just keep on making original content! I don't possess the prototypes of all the tsukkomis that are available in this world! What makes you think that I'm the one that could do such a thing in the first place-

[Hikigaya Weakness no. 23: Reverts back to snarking when he's too flustered.]

"It also means that I'll just let the others pine for your attention. I still win in the end anyway, so I'll let them have their fun."

"You know, you're making a lot of assumptions here", I said, sighing at Nakamura as I shook my head. Seriously, somebody should check her for mental problems. I don't even know as to _why_ she was discussing such a normally embarrassing topic, but I do think it's something that just makes Nakamura...her. With all the carefree smiles and snarks that hide a competitive person searching for a purpose in life...The fact that she might consider me one was both a heartwarming and a chilling thought.

"Heh, trust me Hachiman. I'll catch up with the others soon", she said with a smirk, a chill running down my spine as she stood up from her chair and patted me on the head, going out of the infirmary while waving at me. "Rest up for a while. You'd look like you need an ice pack over your entire face if this keeps up."

I snort as the sliding door closes, leaving me alone with my thoughts as I got the BB gun from inside my pamts and shot the window. A scream was all I heard, and I smiled as I closed my eyes to rest. Thank you, Hikki Skill no. 23.

* * *

[-|-]

* * *

"Well, it looks like the apocalypse as already begun."

"Komachi, this is serious. I need your help here."

"I never imagined that my Gomii-chan would suddenly attract the attention of three beautiful girls, so let your cute imouto think for a while, capiche!?" I wince, placing the phone a sizeable distance away from me as I turned on the loudspeaker. Also, if she was here, I would've already given her a nookie. What do you mean I'm never going to get a girlfriend!? Well, logically speaking, that _is_ the case with me, since I have never entertned the fact that I would find anyone else being interested in such a disgusting creature that was me... "Alright, let's start from the beginning. What do you the of the situation right now?"

"Completely shot to hell."

"Komachi agrees, but that isn't what I was asking." I raise a brow at my phone. Then what the hell were you supposed to ask? "I was asking on something like...uh...who likes who and stuff! And also tell me as to how you see them."

"All of them are somehow interested in me", I deadpan, and I could _hear_ the utter disbelief in her tone. Just wait till I go back to Chiba, you... "Nakamura's a witch that I can't seem to get rid of; Kanzaki's an utter pest to deal with, since she sometimes pops out of nowhere and starts harrassing me, amd Hayami is..." My mind flashes back to the scene of the bookstore, and I forced myself to keep calm. Puberty sucks. "...well, Hayami."

"Then the choice is completely obvious, isn't it?"

"I know", I snap back, and promptly cursed myself for raising my voice against Komachi. Damn these hormones, I swear. "But the actual point of dating is to determine whether or not one is physically, emotionally, and mentally compatible with another."

"From what you told me before, Komachi already thinks you found her."

"...Hachiman requires further testing before he could make a decision."

"Onii-chan, I know that springtime must've come for you, but you shouldn't abuse it by that much, you know? Who knows what the rom-com gods will give you?" She said it in a despairing tone, and try as I might to make sure that it couldn't and wouldn't affect me (since your so-called 'springtime of youth' is done already, you idiot), my eyebrow twitched. "If you keep on delaying, then you'll eventually wind up with no one else, you know."

"It's fine."

"Onii-chan...Don't lie to Komachi, please."

I sigh. It seems that my little sister knows me more than I expected. After all, it wasn't as if I could just let go of what had happened last year, and all of the...consequences that happened. My faith in humanity lost, being made aware of the dark side of human society...the trauma wouldn't go away. Sure, my dreams were mostly pleasant, consisting of the many different ways I get to kill that yellow octopus, but the nightmares were still there. Once...twice. Thrice a month I get them, where the person known as Orimoto Kaori suddenly drops by at Kunugigaoka and my past was revealed. Idiot. Moron. Shut-in. I see the faces of my classmates, staring at me in various states of faux sadness and pity. They would offer me words of comfort, even though they fully knew that they were meant to twist the knife deeper.

Even though I knew that the whole of 3-E wouldn't do such a thing...Even though I knew that they were above such things, being the ones that were discriminated themselves...I still couldn't bear the chance of them looking at me like that. Like I was something to be pitied upon, even though I already made my bed and lied on it. The nightmares were simply just nghtmares, I always told myself, yet the stares seem to _hurt_ so much that I couldn't bear to be the subject of it.

"Bye, Komachi", I said, ending the call as I sat on the couch and leaned back, feeling the comfortable weight of synthetic leather supporting my body. My eyes closed, a reminder already set that I needed to apologize to her sometime soon, and I stood up a few moments later to make my way towards the refrigerator.

Getting two cans of MAXX Coffee, I made my way back towards where I left my phone, finding Ritsu had once again taken over it. This time, she was searching through some kind of filing system while wearing detective clothes, and I couldn't help but let out a sigh as I placed one can of MAXX Coffee next to the phone. "Hard at work again?" I asked, and the AI yelped as she quickly turned around and waved at me.

"Hello, Hikigaya-san!"

"...It's Rio again, isn't it?"

"Yes", she replied, hanging her face downward as I immediately resisted the urge to call for an ambulance. It's alright, Hachiman, she's just 2D. Not only that, but she's also innocent as hell. Plus, think of the consequences - do you _really_ want the three of them to be breathing down your neck? Good. You chose life. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, Hikigaya-san!"

"Don't mind it", I said, waving a hand dismissively at Ritsu, "In fact, I'm glad that you apologize. Most people don't even know that they needed to do that anymore..." I growled the last part underneath my breath. but it seems like Ritsu heard it. Probably due to her software. Although, given that she just shot me a puzzled look, I wouldn't have to explain myself. "So", I began after a moment of silence, "Did you find anything?"

"Aside from your personal files?"

"Yes." I don't even know why you had to clarify that Ritsu.

"Hm..." Glasses appeared on her head as she pushed the upwards, glinting due to some kind of digital effect. "Well, I found something interesting from Karasuma-sensei's laptop." Oi, that's a crime that you just did right there. I thought you were supposed to follow the rules? "It seems that the clearance level is too high for even him to access it, so he probably doesn't know about it yet until tomorrow." Ritsu, speak Japanese, please. I don't even know half the words that are coming out of your mouth. "In any case, we're getting another teacher!"

I blink. _Now,_ of all times? When it's this close to the midterms? "Did you find anything?"

"His name is Takaoka Akira", Ritsu chirped in her usual voice, "He's apparently a decorated combat veteran of the Department of Defense, and he seems to be a good teacher as well! Just wait a minute, Hikigaya-san, I'll pull a spider search of his files..." I hummed to get her attention, and Ritsu squirmed in place. Something was wrong.

"What is it, Ritsu?"

"Maybe we shouldn't do this in public."

"Ritsu, we're in my own apartment", I deadpan, "So, what did you get on him?"

The AI pursed her lips, starinng at me with worry, before letting out a soft sigh for a moment later. "Really, Hikigaya-san. I hope that you're ready for what you're about to see." With that, she winked out of the screen, being replaced by an album of digital pictures that I quickly started browsing through. All in all, everything was fine except for the fact that this...'Takaoka Akira' had a smile so fake that even Nagisa would notice. Of course, I kept on looking, and...

Oh...

...Dear God...

I gripped the screen. trying to crush it under my grip, yet I managed to cool myself down as Hikki Skill no. 2 took into effect. Once more, I found myself looking at the image, now with a metaphorical comfort blanket around my mind as I tried to process what was going on. Lashes. Bruises. Patches of skin that seemed to have been peeled off from...whatever Takaoka did. Whatever it was, it meant that assigning people to him usually made for a very high turnover rate. Once more, I scrolled through the images again, the thrumming of anger surfacing from the depths of my self as I looked at the damaged skin. Hell, I could even see some 'mild' necrosis settle in on some of the areas.

"It's why I warned you about this, Hikigaya-san..."

"Ritsu, I'm fine." I said, giving a smile to the AI even though I wasn't in any mood to do so. "Ritsu, download these photos and store them in a separate, private server that wouldn't be traced back to me."

"What are you doing, Hikigaya-san?"

"Gathering evidence."

"But, we technically hacked into the government's files to do so. They wouldn't believe us at best, and it's unlimited jail time for you. As for me...I'll probably get disassembled and returned towards my manufacturers." I clicked my tongue, even though Ritsu had started downloading the files into a server.

"Leak it to Karasuma-sensei, then. At the very least, we can hope for him to delay that man's arrival." I perked up, stopping Ritsu with an open palm as she started to migrate across phone lines. "And before I forget...Ritsu, make sure to disguise yourself, alright? Don't connect yourself with the E-class when you contact Karasuma-sensei."

"Got it!" She said in that cheerful tone of hers once again, giving me a quick salute before dissolving into dust. It would've looked cool if it were not to the fact that it just looked like an ordinary screen wallpaper. Once she was gone, I tossed the first can of MAXX Coffee into the trash can, then proceeded to open up the other. The images that I had seen flowed through my mind once again, and I snarled.

The can in my hand was crushed.

 **AN: Finally, a finish to the preliminary step towards rom-com, and a set-up towards the beginning of Takaoka's first meeting with the E-Class. Must be nice to have a PDA like Ritsu about half a season before everyone else.**

 **In any case, Nakamura's response is finally here! If you didn't expect her to just be casual abt the whole 'liking 8man' theme, then leave a review! I still think that it's perfectly plausible for her to do that, though. With Hayami being jealous whenever a single girl enters 8man's personal space, Kanzaki bulldozing through all pussyfooting, and Nakamura simply acting casual and letting the tsukkomi routine do the rest, 8man's not going to have a break anytime soon.**

 **Though, since we're back to the main plot, he should rejoice. Compared to dealing with a love rectangle, he just has to deal with a sadistic teacher and midterms. That he still hasn't reviewed for. Crap.**

 **Anyways, that's all that I have for today! Favorite, follow, leave a review! This is Broken Paladin, debating moral quandaries whilst hitting my enemies with a mace, signing out!**

* * *

Or not.

Look, I have an announcement to make.

The next chapter is going to be kind of a spin-off. It's the cast of Deadeye doing a conference, and yes they would be answering questons from the audience aka you.

So, ask some questions. Some of you mig be wondering about some stuff, after all.


	28. 26 - Demon Beneath the Mask

**Deadeye**

* * *

Chapter 26 - The Demon Beneath the Mask

* * *

There was a stir at the announcement that a new teacher had just come to class, as expected. Currently, I was revisiting the old foxholes that I had dug up during our old Duck Hunts, checking each and one of them to see if they worked just as intended. Once that was done, I turned my gaze back towards the clearing, watching the rest of my teammates spar whilst Karasuma-sensei nursed a growing bruise by his cheek. At that, I smirked, nearly losing my balance when I took a step by the sudden pain by my liver, yet I continued towards a nearby tree, digging my arm underneath a hole between the tree's roots and pulling out a sleek black case.

Pulling out its contents and setting up underneath one of the foxholes, I observed as the spar came to an end and Karasuma-sensei walked back towards the satellite campus, meeting said new teacher. My eye twitched, and I let out a sharp breath at the sight of that _putrid, vile, and digusting **thing**_ currently in my sights, yet I forced myself to calm down. There was nothing else for me to do but observe for the meantime, and observe I will do. I just hope that the bloodlust hadn't been noticed.

"Oh, Hikigaya?" I perk up, catching Karma's distinctive hair as he walked towards me with a jump on his step. "Planning to take out the new teacher? I wouldn't know what else to do with a sniper rifle, after all." He smirked, not even bothering to let me react as he pulled out the rubber knife that he always kept on his person. "...So, seeing as you're pretty much hopeless with anything but a gun...or women-" I growled at that remark, "-let me help you."

Silence passed between the two of us, before I raised an eyebrow. "What, with pranks?"

"What else?" I met his grin, seeing the devilish flicker behind those pale eyes, and I couldn't help but let out a snort as I shook my head.

"I could use some distraction at least. Helps to keep him off my radar." I muttered out loud, and I shook Karma's hand as he took up a spot next to me and pulled out a set of binoculars that I placed inside the case. Karma gazed at the whole affair with an impassive look on his face, and I kept my eyes trained on the scope as I listened to his irritating hum. A few minutes later, he finally turned towards me and spoke.

"Anyone with a brain could see through that", he said with a blank look on his face, "So, just why are you putting out a personal hit on him? Knowing you Hikigaya, you'd never do something like this, since you'd rant about 'wasting your energy' or something like that. Right?" My eye twitched. Looks like he already had a basic grasp on my personality. No, I don't put much effort into this. I never do. But, when these things involve something personal...then I'd make sure I see it through the end.

So, I pulled out my phone and tossed it towards Karma, who caught it without even turning his gaze towards it. "Ritsu, show him."

"Yes, Hikigaya-san!" The AI replied, and Karma moved his gaze to the scene as the beginnings of a grimace formed on the edges of his lips. His eyes changed emotions, from murderous to seething, and he returned the phone towards me with a relatively serious look on his face.

"Personally, I'd just sit back and watch the chaos unfold from afar, but...Well, since you're here, it looks like I'll have some back-up." His eyes sharpened, and his teeth bared into a snarl directed at the new teacher, who was now lecturing the students about the 'revised' schedule for PE. My bug was synchronized with my earpiece, and I watched as Kanzaki protested...and was promptly beaten up.

I don't think [Stealth Hikki] could keep my bloodlust from showing any longer.

Kataoka stopped, gazing around him with a cool expression that befitted a monster like him, before turning back towards the rest of the class with a cautious expression on his face. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it...Great. Now he's tipped off that someone's onto him. Now he's going to go over to each and every single one of them and wring out every little thing that they didn't have any knowledge of, all the while I'm stuck here- "Hikigaya."

My eyes widened, the panic attack halting for a moment as I glanced towards Karma, who proffered out a hand towards me. "Give me the gun. You can't shoot him this early...yet."

The grip on the sniper rifle twitched, and I let loose a slow breath while I let my anger fade, giving the gun towards Karma for safekeeping. His eyes widened, and he tried to carry it with one hand, a snicker rising out of me as I did so. "You think that they'd let me have an actual sniper rifle? That's just an airgun. Shoots the same anti-sensei BBs that Korosensei's allergic to."

"Yes, well I can see that." Karma dryly replied, cocking back the action before sliding it back into place. "I don't get why they stylized it into a bolt-action rifle though, since the actual fire mode's semi-automatic."

"Don't know, and as for my opinion, I think it looks cool", I replied, before standing up and brushing down the dirt that I got from laying around the foxhole. "Stay here for a while and keep watch. Meanwhile, I'm going to need you to give me my phone back-" I caught my phone before it slammed into a tree, "-Thanks. I'm going to need to make some calls."

"Oh?" Karma looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "So our Hikigaya privies himself some connections, eh?"

"Not really, just only one", I replied, waving back towards him as I went deeper into the forest. Finding the river wasn't so hard to do, and once I got there, I stopped at the riverbank and unlocked my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I went through the relatively short list without finding the number that I wanted.

Right...because _that_ man didn't want to find out that he could be tracked down to me. I sighed, clearing my head as I tried to remember the series of numbers that were stuck into my head since the day that I transferred here, and thumbed it into my phone. With lips pursed, I dialed the number and pressed the phone to my ear, heaving out a deep sigh at the thought of making _another_ deal with _that_ man, but nevertheless I needed what he had. The vast power granted to the principal of a school. _"...Now this is rare, Hikigaya-kun. Most of the time, I was the one calling you, and not the other way around. I'd have to commend you for giving our women's basketball team a tough time during the exhibition game...but I can sense that you're not in the mood for small talk. So, what can I do for you today?"_

Despite my misgivings, I couldn't help but smile. "I'd have to ask a favor of you, Gakuhou-san."

* * *

[-|-]

* * *

Karasuma-sensei once told me that I was just like a machine. One that has learned empathy and could keep up with modern societal norms, but still a machine at its core. Always learning...always finding out logical ways to solve a problem. Maybe it was why I sympathized with Ritsu so much that I let her rummage around in my phone doing who-knows-what. That whatever our personalities are, we were still machines deep down, programmed by society. For me, I was programmed by the scorn and ridicule that I felt during most of my life, and Ritsu was programmed by both her original manufacturers and Korosensei. Both of us were just AIs: artificial intelligences, lacking the required empathy to fully emulate a human being.

And I found that...I was fine with that, really. It was always the switch that I reverted back to ever since my mind was in the zone; to use each and everything around me as a resource to accomplish my goal. It was a ruthless and pragmatic side to me that I wish I didn't reveal, but something that would be revealed as time passed. There was no 'if', but only 'when' the rest of my classmates would see me for what I truly am. Would Nakamura tear our her hair in frustration and force me to wear a face mask as well? Would Hayami and Kanzaki lose their interest if they find out who I actually am (I'm fine with that, by the way)?

I don't know. And at this point, with my trigger finger steady and my eyes set on my sights, I couldn't care less.

Target has exhibited mood comparable to annoyance and irritation - a most likely side-effect of Akabane Karma's distraction. Even now, I could see the red stains at the bottom hem of the target's shirt, with a larger part of the stain reaching deep into the target's pants. I could only snort at Karma's efficiency in irritating the target and warning the rest of our classmates. It seems that he's oddly motivated for this.

If there was a good thing about this current situation, it was that the bug that I had planted on Mimura still hadn't been noticed. Even now I could hear the voice coming from the ear piece coming in at a slightly slower rate than what I actually heard, and a thin smile formed on my face at the fact that Karasuma-sensei had stepped in to avoid hitting Kurahashi. The words flowed at a fast pace, yet I could get the gist of what was being discussed. A difference in teaching ideologies...with a healthy amount of inferiority complex within. The target took a stance, waiting for Karasuma-sensei's representative to step up to the plate, and my eyes widened slightly as Nagisa took the knife and took his own stance.

"...Karma. You seeing this?"

 _"Unless both of us have been duped at the same time, then yes. Nagisa's stepping up to the target."_ Karma's voice piped in through another channel, and my eyes narrowed at Karasuma-sensei as Nagisa started moving. It turned out that I didn't need to worry however, since Nagisa had taken the target by surprise by concealing his bloodlust at just the right moment, and the glint of steel allowed me to track the knife as the target lost his balance. My eyes sharpened, reverting back into a machine, and variables were calculated between synapses as my body moved subconsciously, the barrel of the gun aiming downrange before it fired in a short puff of air.

The pellet flew at speeds lacking the force to penetrate through skin, but enough to make it bruise. The projectile hit the target's ankle, buckling it inwards before the pellet was hidden by the target's pants, and the target slammed into a ground and received a minor concussion. A second later, Nagisa had the serrated edge of the knife against the target's throat, and I smiled, knowing that the target was subdued...for the meantime. Still, I kept my sights on him, not even bothering to respond to the Koro-clone standing beside me.

More words of encouragement. More words of faith. One's complex was assuaged, while another's simply grew in response. Short-sighted goals ran rampant over long-term planning, and the target charged, deigning to take revenge upon Shiota Nagisa for humiliating him in front of a whole class of middle school students. And in return, he received a pellet to the eye, making him scream as the impact resounded across his head, and numbing the pain that he felt as another pellet slammed into the base of his neck, knocking the target out instantly.

"He's all yours, Gakuhou-san", I muttered into the earpiece, taking care to move across the roof of the satellite campus quickly and silently whilst the commotion below muffled my footsteps. The fall was mitigated by a roll and slamming the rifle's stock against a tree branch, making it unusable but leaving me safe save for the backlash of momentum, mitigated by a quick shake of the arms. With that done, I doubled back towards the satellite campus, feeling the displaced air of the target as he rushed past me, and came face to face with the Principal of Kunugigaoka Junior High School, Asano Gakuhou. I stopped, bowing at him as a small smile formed on my face.

"...Thank you for listening to my request."

"I've had my suspicions, Hikigaya-kun", the principal simply answered with a smile, patting me on the head as he ruffled it slightly. "Well for the meantime, I'd best get going. Remember our deal, alright?"

"Yes." With that, the principal continued on his stroll back towards the main campus, and I gave him a salute as I walked towards the male restroom, relieving myself as I let out a sigh. The switch turned off, and my hands shook as I sat down on the toilet. As I expected, less than a second later, Hikigaya skill no. 23 activated, and I felt a small puff of air that came from outside the stall. "...Korosensei, can't you see that I'm currently using the toilet?"

"Hikigaya-kun, you can dispense with the lies already", the octopus' voice echoed from the other side of the flimsy wooden door, and I pursed my lips as I considered ramming through school property just so I could get out of this conversation. After a moment of consideration, I sighed, slumping forward as I heard Korosensei's annoying laugh from the other side. Really, if the image of the Grim Reaper was... _him,_ then I'd actually wet myself out of fear, since I wouldn't know what kind of hallucinatory agent was placed on me just before I died.

"...So, what do you want to know?"

"Why'd you do such a dangerous thing?" I sigh. _Of course_ he'd ask the 'why'. Not 'what', not 'when', not 'how'. Just 'why'. As much as I'd like the faith placed upon me by Korosensei, I'd rather that he place it on someone else. That's too much of a burden for someone like me to bear. I thumbed through my phone, searching through the files that Ritsu gave me before sliding it under the flimsy door. A yellow tentacle wrapped itself around the phone and brought it up, and a few seconds later I felt the temperature around the stall increase with a single breath. Korosensei was _pissed_.

I sat silently, watching the door barring me from exiting the restroom as Korosensei attempted to wind down from his rage. A few minutes later, my phone was dangling from above the door, being held in place by a tentacle, and I quickly yanked it out of Korosensei's grip and wiped the mucus on the lower hem of my pants. "As much as I would like to praise you for this, I'd still admonish you for trying to accomplish this without telling me about it first." A sigh from the other side, "...Nevertheless, you could also tell your teachers about this. Why didn't you?"

"Ritsu pulled those photos from government servers", I answered gruffly, leaning back against the toilet seat as I did so, "There's no way that they'd believe me if I said that."

"You'd have considered it", Korosensei shot back with contemptuous ease. "...Hikigaya, tell me the real reason as to why you did this."

It seemed like the octopus won't give up. My shoulders slumped forward, and I let out a sigh. No real reason, really. I'm just doing this because I have a knack for shooting people with BB guns. As if Korosensei would buy that excuse. And it wasn't as if I could just say that I was pissed at Takaoka for daring to lay a hand on my classmates. I...wasn't that really close to them all. Nakamura was the only person that I interacted on a daily basis, and the rest were just passing acquaintances that I have to share a room with for about half a day. Emphasis on the past tense. "...Can you leave me alone for a moment, sensei?"

Silence. Then, "You should've just said that earlier, Hikigaya-kun." With that, another puff of air signified that he was gone, but I still waited until skill no. 23 died down before I even deigned to open the door. With caution in my gaze, I slowly slung the door outwards, finding my gaze meeting one, two, three...an almost thirty pairs of eyes. I don't even know as to _how_ they managed to fit themselves in here, but my gaze quickly zeroed in on Karma, who simply gave a shrug at me.

"Well, it's either your skin or mine", he replied without even an inch of guilt, and I sighed, sliding the phone back in my pocket as I exited the stall, only to be slammed back inside by a shock of blonde hair. "Oh, Nakamura, already engaging in exhibition play?" For that remark, he'd get a prank from me later, nevermind that he's more experienced in that area than me. Although, it brought me some catharsis when Nagisa pulled out his airgun and shot Karma in the forehead.

"You damn idiot." Nakamura's voice was short and clipped, barely even a whisper at the cacophony of whispers that the entire class plus teachers were currently engaged in. "You could've told me. You could've told anyone. You could've even told Karasuma-sensei, since I'm sure that he'll overlook you hacking into government offices until after the whole thing blows over. Why do you insist on doing this alone, Hachiman?" I sigh, glaring at the lot as they froze up and started shuffling away from the area, and within a few minutes, left me alone with Nakamura. Inside a bathroom stall. In the men's restroom. Alone.

...Actually, I could use a bit of company right now. Nagisa? Karma? Mimura? Anyone? "And we're staying here until you spell out each and every singular reason as to why you did such an idiotic thing. Capiche?"

I glanced behind Nakamura, only to see a stray hand flip the lock closed. Blood paled from my face as I glanced back towards Nakamura in horror, my entire body freezing as ocean blue eyes promised me never-ending pain until I gave up my secrets. Somewhere, I could just picture Korosensei looking out towards the sky while one of his tentacles were raised in a thumbs-up gesture. My eye twitched, before I glared towards my would-be torturer in defiance.

Still, there was no escaping the fact that I felt a twinge of fear in my heart when Nakamura took my phone out of her pocket, with Ritsu's eyes looking like they were dead to the world.

* * *

 **AN: And there goes the next chapter. It goes along with canon, but with added benefits of well...something else. I believe that the principal _should've_ screened the prospective teacher before entering Kunugigaoka, and Takaoka would never make the cut just by a glance. So, given that I can't stray too far from canon events, I needed to have a workaround. Which is why Asano-sensei is going to fire someone in HR!**

 **Also, more foreshadowing. I still haven't forgotten that plot thread about twenty or so chapters earlier when the principal and 8man are on speaking terms. Let's just say I have plans for that...Plans that should be present in chapter 1 of [Deadeye Extras]. Heh, self-promotion in one of my fics. I could feel my ego levels rise just from that.**

 **As an additional announcement, I'm afraid to say that I won't be uploading anything this week. Too much requirements, too much deadlines, and I swear I'm going to burn about thirty six hours of not-sleep just to keep up. That said, this is Broken Paladin, debating moral quandaries whilst hitting my enemies with a mace, signing out!**

* * *

Also

I posted Deadeye on Spacebattles

I have no idea if it's going to be flamed as hell or not

In any case, wish me luck


	29. News

I'm rewriting Deadeye.

It's not that it isn't a good fic, guessing the amount of follows and favorites the story has, but it's more in line with my initial vision of the story.

It was supposed to show 8man's introspection throughout his journey through Kunugigaoka, presenting in a manner that befits the monster of logic. Instead, as the chapters slowly dragged on and turned into something that a lot of people like, it became something more of a back and forth interaction between Hachiman and the various members of the cast. Not that it's a bad thing, really – I enjoyed writing something behind the lines as well, but what I truly wanted to do was to make a fic that explores an individual's thoughts, in a way that is both engaging and fun to explore.

It's hard to do that with 8man compared to the roguish types of characters like Bree from my headcanon. For them, you could chalk it up as to them having fun, but the things that they _don't_ say in their narrative are the things that make them so interesting.

8man? Hachiman is a contradiction. He desires to learn more about others by observing their every move, and he bases his action from the. Still, he's more or less a hypocrite. For all of his talk of wanting to find something genuine (which comes from an understandable desire of fearing that the status quo that he had been living in was nothing but a lie), he hides the things most precious to him under lock and key. _Very_ strong locks and keys.

But this is 8man in Oregairu proper, or so is my opinion of him. What I wanted to write about when Deadeye first came around was a younger 8man. A time where he wasn't fully exposed to the cruelties of the world, but aware of it nonetheless. That was what I wanted to do.

For it to like become the original series, where it focuses more on the drama between characters, but in a more light-hearted tone? I...wasn't pleased.

So, I'm trying to get back what I lost when I first started writing Deadeye. I want to write a younger, more optimistic, but still cynical 8man, in a way that is both believable and fun for you to enjoy.

Wish me luck, and hope for the best that my friends won't strangle me upon seeing this. I'll be keeping the original story archived, so you can still read it if you want. Even if you might want to bitch about it on the rewrite itself.

Anyways, I hope you keep following my stories. This story was once written on a whim, but...I'll try to make it as good as possible this time around.

If you want to beta for the rewrite, then just hit me with a PM and discuss details. Until then, this is Broken Paladin...

...Signing out.

(PS: I really feel like I should change my pen name soon)


	30. Rework's Out!

**UPDATE:**

Rework's out under the name of Deadeye R. Merry Christmas to everyone, and thank you for the support!


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